COMMISSIONER of Police Gary Griffith says when criminals use tactical uniforms to commit crimes, it does not mean they are police officers.
In a Facebook post by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), Griffith said, “It has unfortunately become the norm, to find persons inexperienced in a topic to get a statement from them and have it printed not based on fact but sensationalism.
‘Based on that logic, anyone walking around with a Manchester United jersey means that they would be playing alongside (Paul) Pogba and (Marcus) Rashford next game…’
Referring to the recent fatal shooting of three men in Wallerfield, he said, “Because the suspects wore tactical uniform, it is printed and perceived by distraught family members that it automatically means that they were police officers.
“Based on that logic, anyone walking around with a Manchester United jersey means that they would be playing alongside (Paul) Pogba and (Marcus) Rashford next game. Anyone could purchase black tactical gear at certain retail stores in this country.”
He said, “The family stated that their suspicions were confirmed because the police turned up at the crime scene ‘too soon’ which in their mind does not take place.
“Such unsubstantiated comments being printed without any logic based by those inexperienced in the field, does nothing other than causing further undue panic to a nation.”
Griffith said it was reported that a neighbour went up to the face of those who killed the three young men and told them “you all would not get way with it.”
He added, “So based on comments made in the public domain, shooters would just kill three men in cold blood and a witness would confront them and state they would not escape and the killers would just listen to him and bow their heads and leave him unscathed.
“But they know that the more sensational and erratic comments, the greater chance it would be published.”
He said all comments would be investigated and noted that anyone making a false statements could be arrested for wasting police time.
The release stated, “Intelligence reports revealed that one of the dead persons in the Wallerfield incident, Nyron Samuel, 24, was a known firearm offender.
“Another victim, Dimitri Cust, 19, was a robbery offender. The third person killed was Jordan Archibald, 14. All three were members of the Lionheart Gang.”
