who shot him?
The man from La Ressource, Vieux Fort, was shot by police on Monday June 16, 2014. According to reports, at about 10:15 a.m. officers attached to the Vieux Fort Police Station responded to a report of a suspected mentally challenged male causing a disturbance at La Ressource. Upon arriving on the scene, officers encountered a man “behaving erratically,” a police press statement says. It goes on to say that on approaching the suspect, the officers observed him pick up two stones, one in each hand, and threatened them.
The officers responded by calling on him to put down the offensive objects; he refused and continued advancing towards them. The police again called upon him to stop but still he did not heed the warnings of the officers.
At that point, the officers discharged two non-lethal rounds of ammunition in his direction in an effort to subdue him. It was only when this failed that the police discharged a weapon containing regular ammunition, which hit him in the process.
However, the family of Gabriel say that they pleaded with the police not to shoot their son. They say it was not the first time that law enforcers had been called to assist in bringing him in for treatment, but that he was never violent. They are also questioning why the police shot Gabriel in the chest and not possibly his leg to subdue him.
This latest incident has once again raised calls about police handling of mental patients.
This is the second such incident in just over ten months. Although the authorities have indicated that an investigation into the matter has commenced, it offers little consolation to Gabriel’s family or the public at large.
that police who shoot that mentally man is a big coward, showing off in front of the people standing there watching. They could have shoot him in his leg or shoulder to put him down and then arrest him and take him to the hospital for treatment and everyone will be at ease.This policeman should be charged for the murder of this man regardless what excuses he has. My condolence goes to the family
It is very sad that Police, not only in St Lucia regard mentally disturbed people as threats to them. It is amazing too that they still have not learned that when approached in an aggressive manner, mentally disturbed individuals will act aggressively. I often wonder if these same policemen were to confront their own blood relatives who was afflicted with a mental illness, whether they would shoot to kill. It appears that Police are all disagreeable, quick to discharge their weapons and a bunch of cowards whose only recourse to solve problems and deal with their insecurities is by discharging bullets. When will they ever learn? They apparently need a special course of study in the sanctity…
The way some of the St. Lucian police embrace their guns it’s as if they get aroused at the sight of their disfiguring and destructive results. They must dream about causing human damage beyond recognition or identification of what speeches was just hunted. This is ugly, it shows that those who should protect, actual have no real value for human life, they are the real savages of the society.
disgraceful the police have as usual abusing their powers trigger happy bastards they should be charged with murder as soon as possible.
Oh well here we go again the “NORM”. I can see Vernon right around now biteing his bottom lip and pounding his fist in his desk ” Wooooie bujay ! ! Dam it ! Gasa wha worng dem fellows I tired a talking to dem, look last week wi couldn’t go on training and they still forming the …!” “Gasa yu see me is my full pension I waiting fo yu know and I gone yu hear, they couldn’t shoot mate in his leg look how many of dem went dhere”. In the mean time at The US State Department daily breifing good morning Bob what new besides Iraq do you have for us oh The St Lucian Police are at it again oh really they just won’t learn ok keep the Leahy in place.