December is widely considered the month of great cheer, when families and friends come together in celebration of the Christ birth and the approaching New Year. Not the family of 17-year-old Arnold Joseph, however. The fifth-form student was fatally shot by police officers on May 22, 2019 and, nearly seven months later, the cries for justice from his relatives, friends and concerned citizens continue to fall on deaf ears. Castries police claim they ordered the driver of a suspect vehicle to stop, to no avail. For unexplained reasons the police opened fire. Arnold was one of three aboard the vehicle.
Columban Sextius, Arnold’s father, said it has been very hard coping with the death. Lack of communication on the part of the police only made it harder to bear. Speaking to the STAR on Wednesday, Sextius said: “We had an appointment scheduled but the investigating officer did not show up. He never even returned my calls. A week after that I called him again and he apologized. He told me he wanted to inspect the vehicle involved. I have not heard from him since.”
As to dealing with his son’s untimely death, Sextius said that he was off-island for some time and this helped a lot. At times, he says, he tries to persuade himself his son is still alive, but there is no escaping the horrible reality. Again referencing the police: “I don’t even want to say what I think, or how I feel towards these guys. To me, it’s just a whole cover-up and they’re only trying to frustrate people. Now I see why some families just let things go after a while—or they take the law into their own hands.” Sextius has promised his family will not give up. He says they are in the process of filing a civil lawsuit.
Sextius reminisced about Christmases past with his family. He recalled Arnold always looked forward to the family gatherings: “He used to really enjoy this time of year because he really liked the special meals; he really loved to eat. He would eat whatever was left over. It’s just so sad to think we’ll never spend another Christmas together.”
In June, Glen Gabriel, the driver of the “suspicious vehicle”, was charged with several traffic violations, but none related to the 9mm firearm the police claim is related to the car chase that turned deadly. At a press conference on June 27, ACP Wayne Charlery said there was “insufficient evidence” linking the weapon to the car’s occupants but charges could be laid later, depending on the result of on-going investigations. “There is certainly a possibility,” said Charlery, “because, like I said, all related samples in that regard have been taken, examined and sent to the forensic lab for further testing. Based on results, we will know exactly what to do next.”
