T&T – Protesters Call for Removal of Police Commissioner After Fatal Police Shooting

2026-02-03 - 17:08

Public anger intensified as relatives, friends, and activists demanded the resignations of Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro and Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander following a police-involved shooting in St Augustine that left Joshua Samaroo dead and his common-law wife, Kaia Sealy, critically injured and paralysed. Pressure on the Police Commissioner escalated after Guevarro confirmed last Friday that he had no intention of stepping down, despite growing criticism over his handling of the incident. Fewer than 100 protesters gathered outside Woodford Square, opposite Parliament, calling for justice for Samaroo and Sealy and greater accountability from state authorities. Alyssa Phillip, a close friend of Sealy from Bishop Anstey High School, became emotional as she addressed the gathering. “We are here to demand justice for Joshua and Kaia, and to raise awareness,” Phillip said. “We have to remember that this was a surrendering man.” She appealed directly to the Prime Minister, urging decisive action. “If you want any semblance of respect and integrity to remain in your Government, call for the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Homeland Security to step down,” she said. Phillip highlighted the devastating impact on the family. “A mother is now partially paralysed. A father is dead. Two children now have to spend the rest of their lives without their father,” she said. She contrasted Samaroo’s killing with the treatment of other criminal suspects. “There are murderers, rapists, and child molesters sitting in jails who ran from police for days, weeks, months, even years, and they were still given the opportunity for a fair trial,” she said. “Joshua drove from point A to point B and was riddled with bullets. Nineteen bullets. That is not fair.” Activist Jason De Silva also addressed the crowd, sharply criticising the performance of the National Security Ministry and police leadership. He questioned official statements issued after the shooting and accused authorities of prioritising public relations over transparency. “I see no justice. I see no performance from the National Security Ministry other than oppression and silencing people,” De Silva said. “We see statistics on boards, but we don’t see performance on the ground.” He accused the Police Commissioner of prematurely describing the incident as a shootout before reviewing video footage that later circulated widely on social media. Joshua Samaroo was shot multiple times by police on January 20 while seated in his vehicle in St Augustine. Sealy, who was also in the car, sustained gunshot injuries that left her paralysed. Video footage of the incident went viral, sparking nationwide outrage. The footage shows Samaroo’s vehicle coming to a stop on Bassie Street after a high-speed police chase, with his hands appearing to be outside the driver’s side window moments before shots were fired into the car. Samaroo’s aunt, Camilla Williams Samaroo, said the video directly contradicts official police accounts. “When we saw the footage, his two hands were outside,” she said, describing the gunfire as “shots like rain.” She questioned police conduct following the shooting. “How could you tell a dead man not to move?” she asked. Williams Samaroo said the family’s demand was simple. “What is the family calling for right now? Justice. Just justice. This cannot go on anymore.” Nicholas Pereira, whose brother Vernon Charles was killed by police two years ago, also spoke at the protest. He alleged that police removed surveillance equipment after his brother’s death. “The police returned and removed all camera surveillance and DVRs, so we could not prove that my brother was surrendering,” Pereira claimed. He said he had lost all confidence in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and called for the mandatory use of body-worn cameras. “Every single officer on duty must wear a body camera,” he said. Activist Fuad Abu Bakr urged unity across political lines and accountability from state institutions. “You have a mandate from the people to buy the body cameras,” Abu Bakr said, calling on supporters of all political parties, including the United National Congress, to prioritise what he described as the people’s agenda. Investigations into the shooting are ongoing, and no official findings have yet been released. Riot Police Briefly Deployed As the protest unfolded yesterday afternoon, riot police were briefly deployed at Woodford Square, heightening tensions. A senior superintendent and a riot squad officer later spoke with social activist Umar Abdullah, advising the group to disperse as emotions ran high. Protesters objected, insisting they were engaged in a peaceful demonstration and exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Shortly after, the riot squad stood down and withdrew. Protesters remained at Woodford Square for about half an hour before dispersing peacefully. A senior officer from the Port of Spain Division later told Guardian Media that the riot squad had been deployed as a precaution in case the situation escalated. After organisers assured police the gathering was peaceful, officers were instructed to stand down. The officer said the deployment was not intended to intimidate protesters. Throughout the demonstration, police vehicles patrolled the area, with four officers, including a senior superintendent, remaining nearby to monitor the situation. One of the organisers, Arianne Lewes, questioned the decision to deploy officers in riot gear. “We were there peacefully and were not marching or blocking pathways,” Lewes said. “I don’t understand why they would say the situation ‘would not end well’ if we did not leave.” She said police later withdrew, after which protesters agreed to disperse without incident.