Villagers, cops clash after boy’s funeral

FOLLOWING the funeral service of Carenage teenager Sherman Monsegue yesterday, police and villagers got into a physical clash as residents blocked the streets to vent their frustration on the killing of the youth. According to reports, several residents went back to Schuller Street in Pt Cumana, Carenage, after the funeral to continue the protest which started since last Thursday’s fatal shooting. However, this time they decided to block the street with drums and debris, and lighted car tyres.

Monsegue, aka “Worm,” was shot dead during an alleged police exercise in the area. He received two bullets to the head. Police said when they called on residents to remove the items from the street, they were met with “harsh words” which prompted the police to react. Monsegue, 18, described by his cousin Claude Monsegue in the eulogy as a “Village Boy,” was laid to rest amid cries of “we want justice” and “forget justice give us guns,” by scores of placard-waving residents of Monsegue’s village in Carenage. Police alleged that Monsegue and his friend had fired at them, and they returned fire, but residents are claiming he was murdered in cold blood.

There were mixed emotions at the funeral, which started at Monsegue’s Schuller Street home in Carenage, before the body was taken to the Carenage Roman Catholic Church in a placard-waving procession. The protestors walked more than a mile from the village while the calls for justice and guns continued. When the procession stopped in front of the Carenage Police Station, which is directly in front of the church, the cries for justice were heightened, and this was fueled by officers who came out on the verandah to see what was happening. In his short eulogy, Claude Monsegue noted that his cousin never had a problem helping anyone, and hence the reason he was called the “Village Boy.” He then thanked everyone for their support.

Father Paul Jusurasja, who officiated at the funeral, called for calmness and asked visitors if they knew where their souls were going if they were to die now. The silent presence of members of the Guard and Emergency Branch who quietly watched from the police station, raised some eyebrows, but Newsday was told the GEB was present to support the members of the Carenage Police Station, and not to take part in any action. Members of the GEB and the TT Regiment were, however, present during the protest where there was physical confrontation. There were no arrests. The protest, which caused heavy traffic as far as the Audrey Jeffers Highway, was eventually quelled and the protesters dispersed.