‘Madman came at us with a cutlass’

POLICE Constable Mihiset Green said yesterday that he fired his Self Loading Rifle (SLR) at Matelot resident Neil Sutherland because he was fearful for the lives of his fellow officers. Under cross-examination by prosecutor George Busby, Green made this utterance while making  his defence at the trial in which he is charged with shooting Neil to death following a raid at Neil’s brother’s home at Marcelle Trace in Matelot on April 15, 1995. At yesterday’s proceedings, State attorney George Busby recalled State witnesses Maquis Romaine and ACP Winston Cooper. He then closed the State’s case.

In his evidence before Justice Herbert Volney in the Second Criminal Court yesterday, Green explained that while on patrol duties with SRP Yorke around 8.30 pm on April 15, 1995, he received information and went to Marcelle Trace, Matelot. There he observed Arthur Hamlet pass an object to some men and receive something from them. They searched Hamlet and found two packets of marijuana in his pocket. They returned to the station and told Cpl Morris of their observation. He assigned Campbell to accompany them and directed Green to hand over the revolver and issued him with a SLR.

Green said he was wearing a jersey, three quarter pants and sandals at the time. When asked about his dress code, Green said he usually dressed that way to blend in for information gathering purposes. Green said he returned to Marcelle Trace accompanied by Campbell and Yorke, where they observed a group of men and a huge cloud of smoke. The men were passing an unusually long cigarette between them. They approached the group and called out “police.” The group dispersed and he gave chase.

Sutherland ran into a yard in Marcelle Trace and he followed Sutherland. He held onto Sutherland and Sutherland pulled away suddenly and ran into an open door. He gave chase, held on to Sutherland and did a body search. Sutherland began struggling and they ended up in the yard. The struggle continued and they both rolled down an incline. Sutherland ran away after shouting in a violent tone, “I going for my gun. I going for my gun and come back and shoot the police.”

Some time later the accused said he saw Sutherland with his cutlass upraised like a mad man. Sutherland advanced at Yorke and Campbell who started shifting and moving to avoid Sutherland, while using Ricky as a shield. Neil’s cutlass was always upraised and at one point Sutherland got within two to three feet of them. “I discharged a shot from the SLR,” Green explained. “It happened very fast. I shot to protect the other officers from being injured or killed.”  The matter will resume today.