Cops arrest cop in shooting of teen

A POLICEMAN attached to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in Port-of-Spain who reportedly shot a youth in his head yesterday morning has been arrested. Up to late yesterday Stephen Catou, 19, of Dam Road, Point Fortin, was fighting for his life at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the San Fernando General Hospital. Senior policemen told Sunday Newsday that the 30-year-old police constable, who is the nephew of a prominent Hindu leader, shot the teen in front of a Point Fortin bar after Catou told him he was going in the wrong direction. The constable, who has been in the service for four years, is expected to be placed on identification parade.

The officer’s colleague, who was with him at the time of the shooting, is also being questioned. The two constables were part of an IATF team which had been working during the Point Fortin Borough Day celebrations. After work, the 30-year-old policeman and his colleague, who were both armed with sub-machine guns, drove to a bar at Egypt Village where they bought alcoholic beverages. Catou and a group of friends were gathered outside of the bar. According to a police report when the officers  exited the bar, the 30-year-old policeman told the other policeman he was passing through Egypt, but he pointed in the wrong direction.

On seeing this Catou told the officer that that was the wrong way. The report stated that the 30-year-old policeman held on to Catou’s hand and walked him a short distance away from his friends. The officer then reportedly placed the gun to Catou’s head and pulled the trigger. After Catou slumped to the ground, the policeman and his colleague jumped in their car and drove off. An EHS ambulance rushed a bleeding and unconscious Catou to hospital where he was treated and warded in a critical condition. ASP Samuel Jemmot attached to the South Western Division is spearheading investigations.