PCA to review mental illness orders

In a release yesterday the PCA said the review comes in light of incidents involving fatal and non-fatal shootings of mentally ill people over the past four months.

In that time, three men – Paul Marchan, Daniel Paul and Eddison Thompson – were all shot by police. On March 14, 30-year-old Marchand was shot dead while having a mental breakdown at his home at Richplain in Diego Martin.

Police claimed he was acting violently and when they tried to detain him, he attacked them with a broken bottle and injured two policemen.

On June 6, 23-year-old Daniel Paul was killed in Ste Madeleine after he threw stones at the police. Reports said he was also acting violently.

Last Friday, Edison Thompson, 45, of Princes Town, died after he was shot in the buttocks by a soldier on South Quay, Port of Spain, near Henry Street .

The release said the PCA was taking note of conflicting statements by officials.

Once the review is established, the PCA intends to monitor and audit investigations into the shootings of all three mentally ill men.