Two men and a woman were killed by police on Wednesday night in Chaguanas.
Police reports said officers from the Couva Criminal Investigations Department, Central Division Task Force and the Couva Charge Room were on an anti-crime exercise at 10.30 pm along Perseverance Road, Chaguanas, when they spotted a gold Nissan Tiida, which matched the description of a vehicle used in a violent robbery early Wednesday along Ojar Avenue, Chandernagore.
Officers called on the driver of the car to stop. He complied but when they began to approach the vehicle, officers were greeted with gunfire.
Officers took cover and returned fire.
The driver sped off and officers chased the car but reportedly lost sight of it.
However, when officers began to make checks in and around the surrounding area, they saw a man armed with a gun suffering from injuries in a bushy area.
Police said when the officers called on the man to drop the gun, he refused and instead pointed it in their direction and they opened fire.
Further checks in the area led to officers finding a woman suffering from gunshot injuries and another man who was bleeding.
The suspects were taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility where they succumbed to their injuries.
The vehicle the three were in was later found crashed in the bushy area with a firearm inside.
Up to yesterday evening, police had not yet released the names of the three.
When contacted yesterday morning, head of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West said he had not received information about the police-involved killings.
However, on Tuesday, during an interview with Guardian Media, West again raised concerns about the challenges his office faces in securing co-operation from police officers, senior officials, and even the Commissioner of Police in conducting their investigations.
“Co-operation from the police is critical for the PCA to fulfil its mandate of independent oversight,” West stated. However, he revealed that the Authority has repeatedly encountered delays in receiving requested information, limited responses to critical queries, and, at times, outright resistance.
“Delays in obtaining crucial information can hinder the timely completion of investigations. This affects the public’s trust in our ability to hold officers accountable. In some cases, I’ve had to personally call senior members of the TTPS to address these issues and get the co-operation we need.”
West also underscored the importance of body-worn cameras in ensuring accountability and transparency, particularly in police-involved shootings.
The PCA director said it has implemented outreach and education programmes aimed at clarifying its mandate.
“We are working to ensure that officers understand we are here to support accountability, not to undermine their work,” West said.
So far for the year there have been nine police killings.