San Juan mom wants inquiry into son’s death

Admitting her son was often on the wrong side of the law and carried a gun, a San Juan mother is still claiming foul play and calling for an inquiry into the shooting death of her son Kamo Raphael and his uncle Roger Raphael,  at the hands of police on Thursday. “Yes, I would not lie and say my son was a good man or did not have a gun or had any confrontation with the police, but he was never caught with any gun, nor will he ever shoot at police. I know my son,” a teary-eyed Marilyn Walker told Newsday at the family’s San Juan home at Akal Trace, Maitagual Road. “The police and certain informers set them up because they would not join them and become informers. The informers contacted Crimestoppers, who informed the cops where my son and his uncle were, what car they were driving, and what they had in it. The cops then murdered Kamo and his uncle. I do not believe they shot at the police as was said, but were executed and I want an inquiry.”

According to reports, officers of the Crime Suppression Unit intercepted a Honda Civic car at around 4 pm on Thursday. The two Raphael men were passengers in the car and an exchange of gunfire took place, killing the two. A third man, the driver, managed to escape. “Since Christmas the police have been threatening to kill my son, and now they have eventually achieved their desire. But I will not let it rest. If I catch any of them up here, I will kill them! Walker exclaimed. “My boy was a good and loving son.” Recalling the instance shortly before the two were killed, Walker said that Kamo was at home when the car with the two men pulled up and asked him to go with them. While she suspected they were on their way to commit a crime, she sternly believed the police killed the two men in cold blood. She did admit, however, that she often spoke to her son about the kind of life he lived  and what could become of him.

Kamo, 25, was the second of five children. Camille Raphael, sister of Roger, 31, supported Walker, saying the men were often spoken to about their behaviour, but they continued with a life of crime. “Roger, a father of one, was stubborn and listened to no one. He was a very good artist who spent three years teaching art part-time at the University of the West Indies, but he refused to give up this life of crime. “This was something we expected. He lived the life and we, including him, expected he would be killed anytime. The surprise was that his nephew, Kamo, was involved and was also killed. I cannot say if the police set them up. They were in crime and died as we expected.” Police sources confirm the men were wanted by police, but denied any plan to kill them. Supt Murrain is investigating.