The parents of a police officer who was shot dead by a colleague said yesterday that they have not heard any news about the status of the investigation for more than a month.
Haripersad and Parbatti Ramroop said life had not been the same since the death of their son, PC Govindra Ramroop.
The Ramroops said although investigators promised to keep them in the loop about their son’s death, they are still awaiting closure.
“We want to know, we want to get justice for my son,” Parbatti said in an interview at her home yesterday.
On November 5, Govindra, a Special Reserve Police attached to the La Brea Rapid Response Unit, was shot dead by a colleague at the Guapo Police Station.
Some South Western Division officers labelled his death as an accident, owing to a report stating that the offending officer was clearing his gun at the time. However, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, speaking at Govindra’s funeral, told the media that firearms do not discharge accidentally and that an investigation was being done.
While the Ramroops are willing to give the police time to complete their investigation, they said it was taking too long.
Haripersad said the last time investigators spoke to them, it was days before Govindra’s funeral, on November 9. He said the last thing they heard was that investigators were awaiting a forensic report.
“They told us to give them a few days to liaise with us and they will tell us what’s going on. A few weeks have passed and they are yet to tell us where they have reached. As parents we want to know what is going on,” Haripersad said.
Holding back her tears as she looked at photographs of Govindra standing among his brothers, Parbatti said none of the officers who witnessed the shooting nor those who worked with him at the Guapo Police Station ever came to the family to say what happened.
She said while some people claim his death was accidental, she believes a trigger had to be pulled in order for a gun to be fired and kill her son.
She said bringing in 2016 will be difficult when her sons, Ian, Steve and Garvin gather at their Gopee Trace, Penal, home on Friday.
She recalled Govindra would visit her everyday before going to work and would often call her when his shift ended. She said he was a loving child who was passionate about his job as a police officer.
“It is really hard. We can’t take this because everyday is just sadness. I just want justice for my son and I want to know the truth about what happened,” Parbatti said.
The Guardian contacted the Region III Homicide Bureau for an update on the investigation but was told that the senior officer in charge had left for the day.
However, a police source said the Special Reserve Officer that shot Govindra was transferred to another station in the division.