Jacinta Charles said her son is a well-known troublemaker but if he complied with the police officers during the arrest he should not have been shot.
The mother of an alleged wanted man who was shot by police during an operation in New Village, Castries on Wednesday Feb. 5, plans to explore legal action against the Royal St. Lucia Police Force.
Police said in a press release that 25-year-old Lawrence Jermaine Joseph, aka Problems, of Bois Patat, Castries, who is wanted for attempted murder and robbery, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg area during an operation by officers of the Criminal Investigations Department. A .380 pistol containing eight rounds of ammunition was also recovered from Joseph, police said.
The press release did not indicate why and how Joseph was shot. However, when St. Lucia News Online (SNO) contacted Police Press Officer Aniel Innocent on Friday she said Joseph “attempted to flee” when the police told him to stop.
However, Joseph’s mother Jacinta Charles rubbished the police’s version of the incident while noting she is planning to consult popular local human rights lawyer, Mary Francis, about the incident because her son was shot unlawfully.
Charles has admitted that her son is a well-known troublemaker but if he complied with the police officers during the arrest he should not have been shot.
Charles also related her son’s side of the story on the day of the shooting when SNO contacted her on Friday. Joseph is currently hospitalised in stable condition under police guard.
Joseph being placed into an ambulance after he was shot by police.
She said her son had just finished “shopping” and was passing through New Village when he was stopped by police and told to “come”.
Charles said the police told her son to put his hands on the wall while standing up and spread his legs. She said her son complied.
She then alleged that one of the police officers told her son that it’s a long time they want to shoot him.
According to her, Joseph replied “you want to shoot me officer?” It was at that time she alleged that her son was shot in the leg. She said the impact of the shot “fly a piece of bone from his leg”.
Charles further alleged that her son was also kicked and he has been subject to ridicule in hospital.
“And to make it worst when he on the hospital bed they provoking him… saying he should die,” the mother alleged.
She said nothing is wrong if the police have to arrest her son if they have a warrant for his arrest, but they must carry out their work lawfully.
Human rights lawyer Mary Francis
She is also concerned that no one knew her son was “wanted” until police disclosed that he was shot and arrested. She said normally when a criminal is wanted by police, it is publicised.
“The police have to do the right thing. They have to have respect for people too. They can’t be treating people so and they not any different,” she said.
Some residents in New Village have reportedly lauded their police for capturing Joseph. The residents have blamed “outsiders” for a homicide and subsequent shootings in the Castries community.