WE’LL TAKE JUSTICE

On Tuesday evening at a police town meeting at the Spree Simon Centre, a female Laventillian warned Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams that justice must be served in Small Buck’s death or else, “we will give justice for our own self and allyuh don’t want that!” “We love the war...(but) we could calm it down and we could start it up,” declared the angry woman identified only as Dixie-Ann. “We want justice for Mickel. Give us justice otherwise we will give justice for our own self and allyuh don’t want that,” she warned. Her statement came during an emotional and at times combative three-hour long meeting between residents, Ag Commissioner Williams and other top brass in the Police Service.

On Saturday last, Small Buck was shot dead in what police claimed was a shootout. Incensed residents blocked the Eastern Main Road at the John John traffic lights with burning debris, causing a traffic jam that lasted for several hours.

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) is conducting its own investigation into the incident.

Atiba Sergeant, who identified himself as the Imam of a mosque in the area, said residents want accountability for Lancaster’s death.

After Ag Commissioner Williams’ promise of a timely and professional investigation, Sergeant said if this investigation takes too long, residents will take action again to get the attention of the authorities.

The meeting was hosted by Laventille West Member of Parliament Fitzgerald Hinds. Williams promised to remove the officers named as being involved in Lancaster’s killing from the community, during the course of the investigation, but resisted calls from residents to have the officers immediately suspended from duty or jailed.

Williams said due process must be followed.

Told at the meeting that despite claims of an investigation being launched, no police investigator had visited the house in which Lancaster was killed. Williams promised that a team of investigators would be there by 10 am yesterday.

Lancaster’s father Victor, said his son was never locked up and had no cases pending. He could not understand why the police shot him and why in the head.

He said the voice of the people is the voice of God and appealed for justice for his son. Similar appeals came from Lancaster’s sister and other relatives, including a woman who said she was his cousin and who told Ag Commissioner Williams that the youth’s father had signed for his clothing (to be returned) but so far had not received it from police.

She wondered why the authorities were holding on to the clothes Lancaster was wearing at the time he was shot. Other residents said that after the shooting police officers returned to the scene to collect bullet casings. The residents asked if the police had nothing to hide, why was it so important to collect these spent shells?