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Child Held Under SOE Had Been Shot, Harassed By Cops
posted (July 29, 2024)
And while that mother complains bitterly about her child being blacklisted, it doesn't seem like the child will be released since today the ComPol explained that it's best if he remains on the inside and away from crime.

Williams said that the minor has been engaged in illegal activity and maybe now he can be a part of meaningful mediation that will hopefully change the trajectory of his life.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Have you not reported on many instances where minors are either being charged for murder or heinous crimes and even situations where minors are killed? You had a number of those reports, right? So it is not farfetched to have a 13-year-old under the SOE. The 13 year old in question, I know him, and I believe that he has been shot once. Reports to us just two days prior to the SOE was that he was accused of chasing somebody in the Martin's area with a gun to shoot. It is sad to see that it's a 13 year old, while we'd like to be empathetic towards him, I think that the current situation he's in is one that is going to enable him to really reflect on his life, very young life, in terms of does he want to continue that lifestyle of crime and violence or does he want to step out of it, I think that as a society, we need to look at things holistically rather than just look at it from the standpoint that he's a 13 year old but look at it from the standpoint that if he's not there, if he's left to roam the streets you might report of him being killed, or you might report of him killing somebody, so I think that what we're doing now, with the program set up as a part of the SOE, where we have the lead interventionist, Brother Nuri, going into the prison twice a week and doing interventions and mentoring to these young men, I think it's a very good way for us to be able to help him and others who are there to really and truly reflect on why they're there and as well as to find ways and means to why they would not want to get back. So I hear the cry, I hear the concern, but for me at this time, it is more about saving him from being killed or saving him from killing somebody."

And the ComPol also explained that they have looked into moving the child out of Wagner's and putting him in another facility.

He added that while he has yet to speak with his mother, he knows that she has reached out for assistance with her son before, despite claiming his innocence.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Myself and the minister have discussed that and we were looking at the powers under the SOE, if the Minister does have the power to confine him, we're looking at mile 21 and we're not seeing in the legislation but perhaps it can be done but we have to be careful again. If we put him at mile 21, the children who are kept at mile 21 are not at his level, so putting him there may also have a further negative effect on the children who were there at mile 21. He might be able to influence them to become more violent so it is something we have to look at and try to see how we can find the best solution to the problem or to the issue."

Courtney Menzies:
"Has he been a part of any other interventions methods or mediations before the SOE?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Yes."

Courtney Menzies:
"And none of those worked with him."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"No."

Courtney Menzies:
"Have you spoken to his mother, you know, like many m others, their son is innocent, she says the same thing."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I have not spoken to her personally. Perhaps I should and I will pledge to do so but I know that the mother is aware that her son is problematic, she's quite aware of that. She had reached out to somebody for help and that person had reached out to me and so I will try my best to see if I can meet with her sometime this week and se what we can work out together to try and help the young man because perhaps he does need help so we jus see how we can do that."

And while she declined an interview, she responded to the ComPol's statement via texts saying, quote, "Again they will say anything so if he had chased someone with a gun why wasn't he charged? That's all the police do... so what about school? My child needs to go to school." End quote. She also claims that her son is in the same cell as the young man who shot him.

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