Police Commissioner Verne Garde said, “I will be able to answer that at the next press conference,” when a reporter asked him on Wednesday about a fatal police shooting in Laborie in February 2023.
On that day, police shot and killed Eric Thomas at close range. He was reportedly armed and acting out. Eight shots were allegedly fired, and two men, Marley Simeon and Troystan Jn Pierre, were seriously wounded by police gunfire. They later became claimants in the case.
In June, the court ruled against three police officers and awarded damages to the two men.
This is one of several recent cases the Attorney General, who represents the Government of Saint Lucia, has lost. The AG has not commented on this case or the others.
Justice Alvin Shiva Pariagsingh found the Attorney General negligent, saying police officers breached their duty of care by recklessly firing into a crowd during the incident.
Marley Simeon received $80,000 in general damages, $13,211 in special damages, $5,200 for lost earnings and $2,000 for care because he suffered serious abdominal and intestinal injuries.
Troystan Jn Pierre was awarded $50,000 in general damages, $8,133 in special damages and $10,000 in aggravated damages, along with interest and costs.
The judge also pointed out serious problems in the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, citing the tracking of state-issued weapons, controls over off-duty firearms at social events and issues with sharing ballistic evidence.
The court ordered that copies of the judgment be sent to the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions. They were told to review use-of-force rules and how weapons are tracked. The Police Commissioner and the DPP, who is leading the investigation, were also expected to look into the case and decide what should happen to the three officers involved.
Two months after the judgment, on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Verne Garde was asked at a news conference what actions he had taken based on the court’s recommendations.
“I have the file, the judgment and the guidance from the court in that regard. I have gone through it but not sufficiently for me to provide the comprehensive answer,” Garde said.
“Just give me one other date for the press conference, and I will report on that particular situation, especially in regard to our responsibility.”
Asked about the status of the three police officers, the commissioner said, “They are all current police officers. Two months is not an inordinate period, considering three years. My brother, I will be able to answer on that at the next press conference.
“We have all kinds of pronouncements being made with all kinds of things, especially over social media, compromising things because we are not patient. I would like Saint Lucians to be a little patient with investigators and the RSLPF as they try to gather the facts.”
Garde explained that the job of the police is not to convict anyone, but to report the facts of a case to an adjudicator.
