– Illegal possession of ammunition, manslaughter charges for third rank

TWO Tactical Services Unit (TSU) policemen were last week freed of the manslaughter charges brought against them for the shooting to death of West Bank resident, Dameon Belgrave in 2012 outside a fish shop in Georgetown.Corporal Shurland Williams and Constable Errol Williams had their matter discharged last Thursday by Magistrate Ann McLennan after it was discovered in the trial that the bullet which was extracted from the body of the teen did not come from any of the two ranks who were charged with his killing.
The court also heard that the bullet was fired from the weapon of another rank, who was also with the patrol on the night that Belgrave was fatally shot.
The third rank was identified as Corporal Fraser and the police have been directed by the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions to charge him with manslaughter and illegal possession of ammunition.
The court heard that both of the two ranks who were initially charged with manslaughter did fire shots on the night in question but they indicated to the court that they fired shots into the air.
Fraser who also fired shots that night was able to reload his weapon. The ammunition which he reloaded his weapon with was not officially issued to him; therefore the DPP instructed that he be charged with illegal possession of ammunition. The test which was carried out on the round which was retrieved from Belgrave’s body was consistent with the rounds which were fired by the weapon that Fraser was carrying at the time.
In 2012, acting Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell promised the mother of the dead teen that justice would be served and the ranks who were responsible for the shooting would be disciplined.
Following this recent case, persons are questioning the professionalism of the police in putting two persons through the process of the court while being aware that the round which was fired failed to match the weapons any of the two ranks had at the time.
However, it is not clear if Corporal Fraser is still in the police force or how soon he will be charged and placed before the court on the manslaughter charge which was directed by the DPP.
On the night in question two years ago, Belgrave was accidentally shot by TSU ranks who were pursuing the occupants of a vehicle in the vicinity of the White Castle Fish Shop in Hadfield Street. He would have celebrated his 22nd birthday the following day.
The ranks who were in the patrol at the time breached the standard operating procedures of the force when they trailed the vehicle out of another area of the city without communicating with the operations room for backup.
When the shooting occurred they were operating outside their jurisdiction. After the teen was shot they picked him up and dumped him off at the Georgetown Public Hospital and left.
Yesterday the mother of the youth told the media at a press conference that she believes that the promises of justice being served by the former Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell were just a bluff.

(By Leroy Smith )