The actions of a police officer from Dangriga Town are under the close scrutiny after he used his police firearm to stop a fight, and ended up shooting 2 people, possibly 3.
It happened at around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday at a dance near the foot of the town's bridge. One of the responding officers, Police Constable Tillett, reportedly got into an altercation with some of the patrons at the social event, and for an unknown reason, he went for his police issued firearm.
He fired it, injuring Edmond Cayetano, a former police officer, to the lower right leg. It is believed that the bullet injured 2 other persons: 26 year-old Raquel McKenzie, a resident of the town, and possibly, 24 year-old Keon Augustine, an officer attached to the Mobile Interdiction Team. The cops aren't certain about Augustine just yet, and they are trying to figure out if he was the third victim injured by Constable Tillett's wild shooting.
Police told us today that this officer is now the subject of a criminal and internal investigation by the Department's Professional Standards Branch. Here's how they explained why:
ACP Joseph Myvett
"On Saturday, sometime around 2:30 a.m., police responded to an information of a fight at a dance establishment that was ongoing where during the police's arrival to assist other police officers who were working there and met the fight in progress, one of those officers approached one of the persons known as Edmond Cayetano. In an attempt to separate the fight, the officer got into an altercation with this person where he pulled out his service issued nine millimetre pistol and fired one shot which caught Mr. Cayetano to the right lower leg and we believe also catching Ms. Raquel McKenzie to the left lower leg. One other police officer who was present was also injured but we are still trying to determine whether or not that was as a result of the same incident."
"There is an ongoing i9nvestigation or a parallel investigation which is a criminal investigation as well as an investigation being carried out by the professional standard branch. His weapon was taken into custody and he was brought in where he was interviewed taking into consideration that he was acting in the line of duty. However, an investigation is still ongoing and that file is being put together to be submitted to the DPP for her to decide whether or not there is sufficient evidence to proceed with any charges."
Reporter
"Was there any sort of danger as far as police ae able to determine so far that warranted the officer pulling his weapon and firing on these persons?"
ACP Joseph Myvett
"At this point in time I will not be able to answer that, other than to say that it would have been the officer's own thinking if he saw himself in danger he probably thought that he would have been justified in doing what he did."
As part of the investigation, the officer's police issued firearm has been confiscated.
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