Former cop freed of Agricola teen’s shooting death

May 22, 2015 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

After hours of deliberation, a mixed 12-member jury returned a verdict of not guilty in favour of former Policeman, Terrence Wallace, setting him free of murder, yesterday.

Freed: Terrence Wallace

Wallace was arraigned for the murder of Agricola teenager, Shaquille Grant. He was on trial for Grant’s murder before Justice Navindra Singh and the aforementioned jury at the Georgetown High Court.
The matter was prosecuted by State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Murslain and Narissa Leander. Attorney-at-law Sonia Parag represented Wallace.
Grant, 17, of 110 Caesar Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, was shot and killed after ranks on a mobile police patrol swooped down on a group of youths in the community on September 11, 2012.
Subsequent to investigations, Tactical Services Unit (TSU) ranks Terrence Wallace, Warren Blue and Jamal Lewis were charged for the murder. The latter two had reportedly evaded the course of justice. Lance Corporal Blue subsequently met his demise during his involvement in a botched robbery attack, last December. At yesterday’s hearing, the ex-policeman quietly thanked members of the jury before leaving the confines of the High Court.
Giving a sworn statement in his defence on Wednesday, the ex-cop told the court that he did not fire the shots that killed Grant. He said that he did not shoot Grant because he posed no threat to him. Wallace further stressed that he had no cause to shoot the teenager. He claimed that he was summoned to Agricola, after his cousin telephoned him and informed him that some boys had gathered in his (cousin’s) yard.
Wallace said that he joined fellow officers, Blue, Lewis and others, at Agricola, where they attempted to

Dead: Shaquille Grant

track down the gang of boys. He said that as they approached the gang, one of the boys, Romel Bollers pulled out a gun and fired a shot in their direction.
Wallace said that he immediately returned fire, targeting Bollers. The officer related that he shot the suspect but at the same time, two other gunshots were fired from behind him; he did not know who fired the shots. He later saw that Grant had also been injured.
A total of fifteen witnesses were called upon to testify in the trial. Among them, was Romel Bollers, an eyewitness, who claimed that the policeman shot him and friend as they lay on the ground. Bollers contested that there was any exchange of gunfire between himself and police officers. He instead told the court that he was reaching into his pants for his cell phone, when police began to fire shots in the direction of him and his colleagues.