Holding a bouquet of flowers in each hand, Columban Sextius walks towards the intersection of Chaussee and La Pansee roads. His eyes are fixed on the memorial established in memory of his late son, Arnold Joseph. Sextius’ May 22 visit to the area coincided with the two-year anniversary of the teenager’s death at the hands of the police. The 17-year- old, described as promising by his former home-room teacher, lost his life after police opened fire on what they described only as a “suspicious” vehicle.
Also gathered at the site to pay their respects were a handful of friends and family members. Dressed mainly in red and white, they lit candles and let loose two dove shaped, helium-filled balloons into the air. Such activities have become a frequent practice for the family as they continue to cry out for justice two years after their son was gunned down by cops.
“I feel neglected and let down,” the grieving father later told the STAR, bemoaning what he says is a lack of professionalism by the powers that be. “Honestly, I feel betrayed by the people who were supposed to serve and protect us. Investigating officer, Commissioner of Police, nobody will give us a call unless we reach out to them, which I find is very disrespectful and unprofessional.”
Sextius says he took offence to a recent statement by National Security Minister Hermangild Francis. Addressing the crime problem back in March, Francis had urged the police to adopt an assertive approach. In noting that he will stand by the police once they act in the correct way, the minister added: “I’ve said to the police, I want to see you harassing these fellers. You harass them in such a way that they go to their lawyers. That’s what a police officer does, part of your job is to go to court. We have an Attorney General who will take care of the cases for you.”
He continued: “And if they convict you, it’s the state that’s going to pay. The money’s not coming from you; the money’s going to come from the state’s pocket. So do not be afraid to challenge people, do not be afraid to have the road blocks, do not be afraid to, whenever you see fellers stand up in a corner idly by, to go to them.”
“What message are you sending?” Sextius asked. “Harass them until they run to their lawyers and don’t worry, the Attorney General is there, the government will pay, not them? That means go and violate their rights. If they have to run to their lawyers that means their rights have been violated. So with that kind of message what are you sending your officers out there to do? Violate people’s rights and my tax money will pay for it.”
Sextius indicated that the mourning process has not been easy especially around Arnold’s birthday and the Christmas season. “I was away from him for some years so we would mostly see each other occasionally so that is helping me a bit. Most of the time it feels like I’m still away, hoping that we’ll see again,” he said. “My last breakdown, I just stayed home. I just started crying and I could not stop. So it’s not always easy but thank God for work, trying to keep myself busy at work. That helps me get over it a little.”
The last word from the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force on this matter was that exhibits from the scene were due for testing. To date, police have laid no charges in relation to the 9mm firearm they announced was recovered at the scene of the fatal incident.
This article first appeared in the May 2021 edition of the STAR Monthly Review. Be sure to get your printed copy on newsstands or view it here: https://issuu.com/starbusinessweek/docs/star_monthly_review_-_may_31_2021
