REAL NEWS: The United Progressive Party (UPP) is calling for a transparent and fair investigation into the extra-judicial killing of Bendals resident Mannie James.
Leon Chaku Symister, the Party’s spokesperson on legal matters, says that James is reportedly the ninth person to have been killed by the Police over a nine-year period, that is, since 2014. And from a public standpoint, Symister says, there has not been any investigations into these killings or any subsequent findings.
James, a 45-year-old father of two, was shot in the back by law- enforcement officers following a high-speed chase from one side of the island into the Grays Farm community.
Having not being present, Symister says, neither he nor the Party is not in a position to say whether the killing of James was justified. But, on the face of it, and since James was shot in the back while running away, the attorney says there is no way this could be a justifiable killing by lawmen.
Accordingly, the UPP spokesman says the Party is calling for a fair, impartial and transparent investigation by the Police and for the findings to be made public.
Symister notes that Antigua and Barbuda is a signatory to several treaties and member of commissions, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which is a body charged with independently investigating this sort of killing. While Antigua is a member of this international body, Symister observes, it has never been called upon to investigate such extra- judicial killings – even though the deputy governor-general, Sir Clare Roberts, chaired the organization for a time.
Sir Clare, he says, sat in hearings related to such investigations in other jurisdictions; and, yet, ironically, no such probe has ever been undertaken in Antigua and Barbuda where, in nine years, nine similar killings have taken place.
The UPP spokesperson says it is not for the Police alone to investigate what happened in this latest instance. Rather, Antigua and Barbuda must inform the Commission of the incident, and that body will conduct an investigation into what transpired.
While any individual may write to the body, asking for its intervention if the Government fails to do so, Symister says it might not trigger the Commission’s response, since these treaties are usually based on government-to-government interaction.
The attorney says this issue was raised with him just days ago, and he has begun research to see which channels, outside of government, can be utilised.
According to Symister, the Nation cannot continue to foster a society in which the Police, in whatever circumstances, can take the life of a citizen without consequences.
He acknowledges that the UPP is not in the position to make any judgment at this time – and none is being made. Rather, the Party is simply asking for an investigation of a particular calibre.
Meanwhile, the Police have said that its investigations will be conducted in accordance with the Coroners Act and will be undertaken in a transparent and fair manner.
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Is Chaku counting the number of people that have been killed by criminals?
Of coutse not. Victims of low-life criminals are soon forgotten. Why?
Antigua needs a leader who cares about the people. It’s time to stop talking about what should be done and who else should do it. Can we not come together as a people to do what is just? All this talk about government should do this and that. If you as the opposition know how to incite change, then lead from your seat and pull the people together to get the job done. You want to lead? Then show leadership and stop talking about what the government should be doing. Current government is a disgrace to the people. They keep getting richer while the people get poorer and desperate l.
Well said.
I agree with everything except it is not government to government since the body is not a government. It is government to the Organization.
We need to start wipe out some of these officers on a real and see how them police team feels and the families of those said police feels. We too soft here in Antigua.
Do u believe there will b a fair and transparent investigation by the police? How can the police investigate the police, their own? It’s like the guards guarding the guards. Figure it out, will i give up my own?
They cut one another throat all the time, is the politicians that does hide them.
I am tired of the UPP making everything a political issue, anyone who has nothing to hide at a police checkpoint should stop. Running from the police means you are doing something wrong. How many innocent people have been killed by these criminals and now we have the people doing there job we make a political issue out of it! We want to stop crime in our island yet we want to tie the police hands. You want here to be another Jamaica, Trinidad St kitts or St Lucia, Shot them dead if the run the others will know to stop next time. Police are people too with families and children. Boys job well done!
Born Antiguan, I was going to respond to your comments but decided not to because everything that you said is ckear evidence that you are an illiterate.
And who say is police shot him? While I can agree that his death is unfortunate, he is no saint,,how we know the shot didn’t come from the gun his accomplices had in the car, remember he was the driver and shots were fired at the police from that car. Anyway ballistics no lie. The police weapons will have to be examined to determine the truth.
STOP! Where you there????? Gullible person where you there???? Always ready to believe lying police. SMFH
Dumbo there is a video circulating which clearly shows a swift uninjured Manny James running from the officers who some moments later shot him in the upper body…..
@born Antiguan. You are a disgrace to your self and family. Your words will turn on you and your family. Shame on you. People turn around all the time when police making check and they are not criminals , some people just don’t want to interact with police at all and is their rights to choose not to. So because someone turn around because police is on the road, that make them a criminal? You all tlk all shit when is not your family in trouble. Every dog has his day. I believe you are a police so I don’t expect anything else from you. SHAMEFUL.
Antuguans inna Antigua only know how fu cuss and fight each other over politics and politicians.
The streets should have already been filled with protesters over this killing. Shooting someone in the back that’s running away and posed no threat to the law enforcers was reckless — clearly, a callous disregard for the the sanctity of life. One only have to look at how the victim was treated after he was shot. Absolutely despicable!
What will you stand for, Antiguans?
Here is something the UPP can do.
Release the names of all the law enforcement officers that have killed civilians.
Nine killings with no accountability means several killers are in the police force and in our community.
UPP AND CHAKU GET THE NAMES OF ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE NINE KILLINGS AND RELEASE THE NAMES.
WHO ARE THE KILLERS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHO ÀRE THE KILLERS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE MEET EACH DAY, WHEN WE ARE WALKING DOWN THE STREET……
LET US PUT A FACE TO THE NAMES OF ALL THESE KILLERS I OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Human Rights, Human Rights. Human Wrongs? What’s that? For sure the criminal fraternity is in full flow in these posts and elsewhere. You can easily tell by theIr comments. Without doubt, violent robbers and gunmen are here to express their grief at a comrade. So many bloggers are angry at the police but hardly a peep from them when law abiding people are robbed and killed. Strange. Well done police. Take them out at every opportunity and stop apologizing. Ever hear of any scumbag apologising to their victim? You won’t. Take them out at first sight. Keep up the good work.
Do you have evidence that the man was a criminal? Many of the criminals in Antigua are police and soldiers — That’s why they can’t ever seem to solve a case. You must be one too.
Yesterday for him tomorrow for you…
Speak for yourself. For me, I’ve never run away from the police or kept company with gun toting characters who shoot at the police. Why should anyone run away from the police when ordered to stop or drive a car with missing number plates?Maybe you can tell. Remarkable how little outrage is shown when people are violently robbed or shot but all hell is let loose when the police discharge their duties to protect the public. Pay attention: You shall be known by the company you keep. You should know.
Oversea. The police f job is not to kill inocent people or any one. What is wrong with you and your f up mentally? The police oath is to protect and serve. Not to kill innocent people. You are ignorant as hell .
The duty of the police is to serve and protect. Agreed. They must also protect themselves from those who wish to harm them. Do you agree? Why run away when ordered to stop, what is there to hide? Let me be brief. Anyone who runs away from law enforcement when ordere to do so does have something to hide. The police must reach the conclusion that they could be in harm’s way if this man was cornered and acted logically, in my view, to act in the way they did. On my perceived ignorance, we all have that weakness, however my ignorance can be cured but your stupidity lasts forever. Think about it.
@over see. You are Stupid. The man did not do anything to get killed. So it’s ok for police to kill inocent people?????? You are evil and wicked. Don’t worry your time is coming hope you have the same energy.
@Can’t stand wicked and badminded humans.
You would not expect a sensible answer from a stupid person, would you? That’s my answer.
How cases in Antigua courts that has been thrown out or dismissed over police breaking protocols and not following the hand book?
So yes accountability matters, and this case is no different.
How many times have you seen a police chase and the perpetrators were forced to surrender without a killing, and then there were many cases where the perpetrators were killed?
T
The reason for the two different outcomes it’s because of the circumstances of the case. This man was not armed and was clearly running away when he was shot, and from the video circulating, death should not have been the outcome here.
If shots were fired by this victim or the supposedly other criminals, where is the gun, and where is the investigation into finding those two other criminals?
How come we haven’t heard anything since about finding those two other people that was supposedly in the car?
Today is Saturday, the incident happened on Monday, so how close are we to the truth of this matter?
I can tell you why there isn’t any further news about those other two perps and the gun, because there was no gun shots fired by the victim or by any other phantom perps that the police in this case seems to be conjuring up to cover up their blatant negligent in their duties carried out pertaining to this particular case.
Government matters, and society matters, and this Governance that is over Antigua right now, is a failure.
Many folks will come on here and say that this man was a criminal, and use that as an excuse for him been murdered, but trust me folks, bad policing is the worse thing for any society, because if police are the corrupters of the very law that govern all of us, then God bless Antigua, because nothing good can come from corrupt policing, nothing.
People are innocent until proven guilty. Police are not judge hurry and executioner.
U all want to make wrong right. STOP!
But when families hire people like chaku and other lawyers in antigua . They hold onto their monies and no nothing … lawyers in antigua cannot be trusted . They work for the government
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