Caption: Leader of the First Wave Movement Umar Abdullah in front of the TTPS Police Administration Building, Port of Spain, where he delivered a letter to Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro calling on him to resign. AZP News/Alicia Chamely

 

Summary

• Umar Abdullah, leader of the First Wave Movement, staged a one-man protest outside the TTPS Administration Building calling on CoP Allister Guevarro to resign over the January 20 police shooting of Joshua Samaroo and Kaia Sealy.
• He urged the commissioner to suspend the officers involved, criticised the use of a Punisher insignia, and appealed to the public to join calls for justice and accountability.
• Abdullah delivered a three-page letter to Guevarro’s office describing resignation as a “moral imperative” and recommending measures including suspensions, body cameras, preservation of CCTV footage, and an independent civilian oversight body.

 

By Alicia Chamely

“CONNECT with your conscience and step down.”

This was the message sent to Commissioner of Police (CoP) Allister Guevarro by Umar Abdullah, leader of the First Wave Movement.

On Monday afternoon, Abdullah held a one-man demonstration outside the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Administration Building in Port of Spain, calling on Commissioner Guevarro to resign amid controversy and public outrage over the January 20 police shooting of Joshua Samaroo and Kaia Sealy.

Abdullah called on Guevarro to “connect with (his) conscience,” listen to the public and resign.

He said: “Learn from this and do what is right, do what is correct, and stand in the history of Trinidad and Tobago as the Commissioner who would have understood the cries of the people, who would have responded in kind, and stepped down to avoid unrest and to avoid chaos in this beautiful twin-island state of ours.”

Abdullah also called on Guevarro to suspend the officers involved in the shooting in an effort to earn the trust and confidence of the public.

Taking aim at Guevarro’s Punisher insignia, Abdullah said it was a “global symbol of vigilante violence.”

Abdullah held up a picture of the insignia and began tearing it, saying: “You are not the Punisher. You are the Commissioner of Police of Trinidad and Tobago—our independent state, a sovereign state responsible for the people of this country—and you have a responsibility to respond appropriately to the families of the victims.”

He called on the public to join him and other organisations demanding action against the officers involved and for the Commissioner to step down.

Abdullah said: “To every citizen who still believes in justice: come stand with me wherever you see me. With regard to this matter and others, come to the doorstep of this building and other places where we are going to present ourselves in the coming days. Come to the streets. Bring your voice, bring your camera. Don’t forget that.”

“Bring your conscience. And if it’s one thing the people of this country have left, it’s their conscience. Let us allow our conscience to work for us, because if we do not act now, we will be policed like a war zone,” he added.

Abdullah delivered a three-page letter to the Commissioner’s office urging him to resign.

The letter, which was provided to AZP News, read: “I write to you with the full weight of conscience and the voice of citizens who demand justice. The recent killing of Joshua Samaroo, who surrendered with his hands raised, and the paralysis of Kaia Sealy have shaken the nation. Your refusal to suspend or detain the officers involved, and your decision instead to provide counselling while allowing them to continue armed duty, is indefensible.”

Calling resignation a “moral imperative,” Abdullah wrote: “Your resignation should not be viewed as defeat or embarrassment. It should be seen as an act of moral courage—an acknowledgment that this matter is bigger than you, bigger than the TTPS, and bigger than any single office. By stepping aside, you would allow for an independent inquiry, restore public trust, and give Trinidad and Tobago a chance to heal.”

Abdullah listed several recommendations, including the officers’ suspension, mandatory use of police body cameras, preservation of all CCTV footage, and the establishment of an Independent Civilian Oversight Committee to ensure public trust and transparency within the TTPS.

Appealing to Guevarro to resign of his own accord, Abdullah wrote: “You will be remembered as the Commissioner who chose country over ego, who recognized that justice is larger than any single man, and who gave Trinidad and Tobago a chance to rebuild faith in its institutions.”