Almost two months after he was shot dead by police, the Police Complaints Authority say that they have completed their “investigations” into the death of Naim Dean. The report is expected to be handed over to the Director of Public Prosecutions tomorrow. In a telephone interview yesterday, director of the PCA Gillian Lucky said although the PCA can’t investigate police killings as one would imagine an investigation to be, the PCA had completed all the necessary requirements.
Lucky emphasised that there was no presumption of guilt in the findings but just recommendations based on all the information that they would have gathered, which includes the police report into Dean’s death. According to police reports, around 8 pm on April 11, at La Horquette Road, Glencoe, officers of the Rapid Response Unit stopped a van in which Dean, 21, was a passenger and began searching him. The officer attempted to search his groin area when Dean slapped away his hand and ran.
The officer chased him and a scuffle ensued. During the scuffle Dean reportedly stabbed him and the officer shot him once in the chest. Dean’s relatives said Dean was shot in cold blood while running away from the officer. They accepted that he was searched and ran away after slapping away the officer’s hand from his groin area. Relatives said the officer fired a single gunshot as he ran. An autopsy report stated that he was shot in the back which pierced his lungs.
Lucky also said she would be meeting with acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams tomorrow on the number of police killings for the year along with other issues. She said that she was aware of the 24 police killings for the year and was very concerned by it.
Following the meeting with Williams, Lucky said she would be hosting a press conference. She added that the PCA had begun inquiries into the death of Chakuille Mc Coy, who was shot dead by police, at Mon Repos, Morvant last Thursday, although no official report has been made to them. Police said around 10.45 am Thursday, North Eastern Division Task Force police responded to a report that three armed men were in a track off Mon Repos Road, Morvant.
Police said when they approached the three men they were fired upon and returned fire, killing Mc Coy. The other two men escaped. Residents said the police shot Mc Coy while he was at work near a nearby parlour, the Bango Snackette, cutting steel for a box drain. An autopsy said he was shot multiple times about the body.