With photos of two suspects reportedly involved in the shooting of PC Anson Benjamin circulating on Facebook, head of Southern Division CID Insp Don Gajadhar is calling on police officers to be more sensitive with ongoing investigations. Gajadhar said in an interview yesterday the photos, which identified the men as suspects, are affecting the ongoing investigation.
Benjamin, who is attached to the Ste Madeline Police Station, was shot in the head while responding to a robbery report at Chao Yong Supermarket, St Clement’s, Ste Madeline, on Monday night. He remains warded in critical condition at the San Fernando General Hospital with the bullet still lodged in the back of his head.
“I don’t understand how we are here trying to get intelligence and build a case or to see if these men are responsible or have any information about the shooting and how it (photos) could reach on Facebook?” Gajadhar asked.
He said ASP Rawle Ramdeo and himself are a team of five CID officers to partner with the investigator, Sgt Parasram, and Region III Homicide Bureau detectives to carry out their probe in a systematic way.
“We are pursuing all leads at this time with respect to the shooting. The crime scene investigators visited the scene and took possession of some physicals things on the scene.
“We are looking at camera footage. We are on the ground collecting intelligence from people. Presently the inquiry is ongoing but we have not pinpointed any particular person of interest,” he added.
He criticised his fellow officers for posting the photos, which were shared on a page called “In support of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service,” saying:
“It would have come from police officers because no one is going to just post up these photos. I saw one man standing up close to a police vehicle in one picture.
“I don’t know that a man will take a picture of himself standing in front of a police vehicle and then he now is the suspect in something.
“But I am sure that would have come from police but we are still doing a lot of work with regards to that but we haven’t been able to pinpoint anyone yet,” he added. He said the photos could only cause anxiety at this point in the investigation.
“Everything that we are doing, whether any investigation within the Government or any organisation, we always see these things happening, where people are not professional and confident enough to work within what we have and be sensitive about the investigation and how we treat with things.
“Because at the end of the day, there is still a police officer lying down in a hospital bed dying and he still has a family who will be asking the same question: ‘If these are the men responsible for my husband’s/father’s shooting, what are the police doing?’ And the public is seeing these two pictures and saying they are the men and it is creating a lot of anxiety.”
He called on officers to remember that procedures must be followed.
“The police don’t just go and lock up people and then try to find evidence. Look how it took with the Dana Seethahal case... wasn’t there a huge public outcry (for justice)? But obviously you have to do your investigation and talk to your people before you treat with things,” he said. Gajadhar is calling on members of the public who have any information about this incident or any shooting or murder in the Southern Division to contact the CID office at 652-2564 or the Homicide Division at 652-0495.