Death inside a water tank or behind it?

Dec 14, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
There is a lot that should bother the saner heads among us. But one thing stands out, and that is the nonsense that we hear peddled by high officials. Two young men are shot dead by the police in circumstances that are not very clear, but we are told by a senior police officer that no complaint about excesses has been made, and what the consequence will be if anyone shoots at law enforcers. One individual who was directly involved is claiming that the two men were hiding in a water tank when they were shot, but the police are saying that they were hiding behind the tank.
According to media reports, the shootout lasted for a considerable length of time yet only a few spent shell were recovered from the scene.
Incidentally a .38 revolver was one of two weapons recovered by the police which means that the spent shells from that weapon would have been in the revolving chamber. Editor, one letter writer advised the police sometime back of the importance of after-incident reviews, but we are still to be told whether these are done.
An after-action review would have highlighted the fact that police were on that South Ruimveldt scene without proper safety gear. A review would have determined if a supervisor inspected the ranks before they were detailed for duty. I would not be surprised if the police tell us that indeed ranks were inspected and supplied with the necessary bulletproof vests etc., but an examination of the relevant records could put any doubts to rest.
In other jurisdictions, the family of the slain Antonio Dawson would have sued the Commissioner of Police if it was found that the constable had been allowed to go on duty without adequate body protection. Police ranks were seen operating in a directionless fashion and it would come as no surprise if one had fallen victim to friendly fire.
How could anyone escape on foot if order and tactics prevailed? Then, the comedic scene of ranks having to push a vehicle in height of the incident. Who manages the maintenance of police vehicles? Where was the swat unit in all of this drama?
President Granger is demonstrating daily that he will not be bluffed by superficiality and bombast and therefore his admonition of less deaths and more arrests and interrogation should be noted and acted upon. Yes, we all want to see the end to criminality in all its forms.
But Editor, aren’t we opening the floodgates when we unquestioningly accept the police version of events even in the face of disputative accounts? What we should be deathly afraid of is if those involved take official acquiescence as a license to engage in further questionable actions without fear of review. We might just be bringing down all kinds of irrevocable situations on our heads.
Julius Laundry

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Death inside a water tank or behind it?

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