Relatives: Probe police killing of dad of 2

Smith, 42, also called Shaka, was a father of two and lived on Piparo Road, Tabaquite.

Relatives insisted on Friday his death was a cold-blooded murder by police as Smith was unarmed.

The police tell a different story. A report states that at about 7 pm on Thursday, police responded to a robbery in Rio Claro.

The police claimed they were fired upon while proceeding along Tabaquite Road, Rio Claro an area surrounded mainly by teak trees. They returned fire and Smith who was driving in the area got shot. He died en-route to Rio Claro Health Facility.

Smith’s common- law wife Sonia Belass, 51, however said he had gone to find his brother Cleavon, 34, who had telephoned him saying gunmen had opened fire on him.

Belass said Smith was welding at home when Cleavon called and said he was hiding in a forested area.

Fearful for brother’s life, Smith left home and went in search of him. However, subsequent calls to Smith’s cellular phone went unanswered.

“Everyone started to call one another to find out what was going on. Curtis (another brother) and their father went to the Rio Claro Police Station,” Belass said. “They asked police if Shaka was locked up and they (police) said he was at Forensic (Science Centre).” She said police never contacted relatives about the shooting death and called on the authorities to investigate the incident.

“They did not call me and now I am hearing police are saying that he had a gun.

They mashed him up.

They killed him for nothing. Why couldn’t they just shoot him in the hand or something.

All he wanted to do was make sure his brother safe,” she said.

Smith, a construction worker, was the father of Jason, 20, and Jamerson, 18.

Cleavon recalled he was driving along Tabaquite Road and near Brickfield Junction an unmarked car drove in front of his station- wagon. Another car drove up behind causing him to stop.

“The people in the front vehicle opened fire first. At the time, I did not know who they were. They just started to shoot up the car. I opened the door and run through the bushes but they continued firing shots behind me. When I reached a road, I called for him (Smith) to come for me,” said Cleavon.

Sometime later, Cleavon spotted his brother’s car.

“He went to turn around to come back for me. While coming back, they started to shoot up his car. It was dark so I could not see anything but I heard him scream, he real bawl. I even heard him say ‘Don’t shoot’,” he said.

Their father Andrew Smith, 70, of Mc Carthy Trace, Tabaquite vowed to seek legal advice “We not sure what the police version of the story is. It could have been both sons.

We will be seeking legal advice on this. Not a single police came here as yet to tell us anything,” said Andrew.

Police however continue to investigate the case.