The watchman for the barbeque joint where a police officer and a university student were shot and killed outside of ten days ago appeared in court yesterday charged with their murder.
Mark Christopher appeared before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar around mid-morning, charged with murdering Constable Russell Ramnarine and Avery Keshwar. Christoper, 33, of Pundit Street, El Socorro, is also charged with possession of a gun and ammunition.
When the matter was called, Christopher appeared calm as he stood listening to the charges read against him.
One of his three attorneys, Larry Williams, asked only that the State speed up the appointment of an attorney to prosecute the matter. After learning that the case had been adjourned to January 20, Christopher blew kisses to his relatives seated in the public gallery.
Two men and a woman had previously been arrested for the crime but were released. Ramnarine, 24, and Keshwar, 22, were shot and killed early in the morning of December 14 outside Halal barbeque shop, Aranguez, San Juan.
Ramnarine, in plainclothes, and a uniformed officer of the St Joseph Police Crime Patrol were following up a report made by Avery of a stolen cellphone and other items.
Ramnarine and the other officer had accompanied Avery in an unmarked vehicle to Aranguez to meet a suspect to retrieve the stolen items but both wound up being shot and killed. The cellphone thief managed to escape.
Ramnarine who started off his career as a Special Reserve Police officer about two years ago, was absorbed into the Police Service over a year ago.
Ramnarine, ironically, had an involvement in another court matter. He was the main witness in a case involving 12 police officers, including seniors, who are currently before the courts charged with crimes.