Relatives of Stephan “Swell Teeth” St Louis yesterday admitted the 25-year-old father of four “lived the life” but was on Sunday murdered by men who vowed to uphold the law.
Speaking with the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday Lorna St Louis said her son was unarmed when police came Sunday morning and killed him.
She added that her son was never arrested for being in possession of a gun and only had one charge for a marijuana possession matter.
According to reports, around 4.45 am officers of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) went to Eastern Quarry, Laventille, to arrest St Louis, who they had been seeking in connection with a shooting which occurred late last year.
Police said no one answered and when they broke the front door to enter the property, they were shot at several times.
They returned fire hitting St Louis, who was home alone, several times. Police said the officers were unharmed and that St Louis had been armed with a .45 calibre pistol. He was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Yesterday St Louis said the version given by the police was a fabrication.
“Police are lying. Allyuh could come in the hood and talk to the people, people would let allyuh know. He wasn’t no menace.
“He had a shop, and four children, a seven-month, three-year-old, five and seven. What he going to do people? He was building a house in Dan Kelly,” a furious St Louis said.
Added to her frustration was the fact that after spending an entire day at the Forensic Science Centre on Monday, she was told in the afternoon that the autopsy for her son could not be done and that it would be done yesterday.
“The world have to know, they (police) doing that too much. We living in the ghetto but they does oppress Laventille people and they does tarnish the people living there.
“As they kill a youth man, he was the worst. He was a family man. Everybody have to know the truth, enough is enough,” she added.
Sharane Huggins, St Louis’ girlfriend, said eyewitnesses told the family police shouted to him to surrender and after doing so he was shot twice.
Police officers attached to the specialised unit who were part of the exercise to arrest St Louis said the accusation are unfounded.