Deputy Police Commissioner Ronald Phillip on Friday expressed confidence that the police acted lawfully in a shooting on Tuesday that led to the death of a teenager.
Nineteen-year-old Jay-Z Joseph succumbed following the Vieux Fort incident.
The Deputy Commissioner told reporters that although he was not present, he could confirm that the masked youngster had a firearm.
In this regard, Phillip declared that the officer present would decide the appropriate response.
” I cannot speak to what was the appropriate response needed. What I could tell you is that the police officers, I am sure, acted lawfully and within the context of the law,” Phillip told reporters.
” We do not wish death on anybody, but the reality is a firearm is a lethal barrel weapon. Once you carry firearms and firearms are discharged then there is a possibility of death,” the senior police officer declared.
He explained that an investigation into the police-related homicide was underway.
In addition, the Deputy Commissioner stated that a senior officer had spoken with the deceased’s mother, providing details regarding the investigative process.
Phillip also said the police officer involved was on active duty.
“We are awaiting the date for the post mortem,” he said.
Saint Lucia’s homicide toll so far in 2024 stands at twenty-nine.
The Deputy Police Commissioner reiterated that officers would not retreat if people are armed, wearing masks and posing a danger to the police or the public.
Phillip told reporters, “An appropriate response and action will be taken as long as it is within the confines of the law.”
The police did the right thing the family not saying he was a murderer he was robbing people and place shooting people i want to know
A loss is a loss – however some Lucians truly believe that lawlessness is the way to live and that thugs should be left alone to do whatever including being a dangerous and a serious threat to public safety and society at large…..make that make sense ?????????
We are with you, Sir. keep up the pressure on these thugs.
The statistics show that it is overwhelmingly young men who are committing the worst offenses in Saint Lucia and it is the young men who die at the game of criminality. But on a closer look, they are just a bunch of cowards, ill-adjusted, blood rush to my head bunch of misfits who wants to leave a so called legacy of fear. If this trend continues, the ratio of men to women on Island will be skewed in favour of women, and as it stands, women could hardly find a good man to settle down with to now to have a bunch of pillocks driving the men population down by these senseless murders is something the sensus and demographic department should be worried about…Soon there will be 3 women to every man…a 3 to 1 ratio. I suspect some men will like that and the church will raise the dead out of anger at this statistical ratio….in any case I ain’t hearing anything from the minister for crime prevention, Monsieur Norbert…he was enthusiastic when he was appointed and there had been quite a few murders since his inauguration….Pierre is M.I.A and this other security blowhard is nowhere to be seen….if you want incompetence, there is your definition….
The law men need to go after those cockroaches as we can’t let thugs and criminal take over the island . They refuse to go and work in the private sector for 3 to 5 EC dollars like the rest of us
Meanwhile Mary is crafting a threat and some legal hogwash to the rslpf. Someone needs to tell that woman to quit!
You all did the right thing but how comes none of those grom VF have been killed when they are always on the street brandishing weapons regularly. How comes is the small one from Vastries with no control getting heat. You all may have used him to set an example, but start killing the ones who are sending these little boys to kill.
to me they said mate did something that was not lawful you back on tv taking again uwp apply pressure