Residents of St Barbs protested over the death of a 27-year-old man, who was reportedly shot and killed by police around midnight on September 11.
Neighbours of Keron Wellington say he was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Wellington, of Second Hamlet Trace, was to celebrate his 28th birthday on September 12, one day after the fatal shooting.
Neighbours who spoke to the Guardian did not think they would get swift justice because of the void left in the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) by the sudden resignation of former head Gillian Lucky, who was made a High Court Judge on September 8. Lucky's resignation came more than a year short of her five-year term.
She was appointed the Authority's first director in December 2010 when the organisation was formed, almost four years after the PCA Act was passed by Parliament. But throughout her tenure, Lucky repeatedly complained that the PCA was unable to fully achieve its mandate of investigating criminal offences by police, police corruption and serious police misconduct.
Wellington's is the 38th police killing of 2014, according to online crime tracker Bullet Points.
Cops identify different victim
An incident report from the police public affairs unit identified the victim as Michael Duncan, also of Hamlet Trace, St Barbs.
The report said cops were on mobile patrol when the Port-of-Spain Task Force sent a call for help because they were being shot at by two men at Second Hamlet, Laventille.
"On arrival, the police observed the said two men who were armed with firearms. The police ordered the men to surrender their weapons, the men then began firing at the officers again," the report said.
"There was an exchange of gunfire resulting in one of the men being wounded. The other man ran off and despite all attempts by officers to locate him, he could not be found. The wounded suspect was conveyed by police officers to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital for treatment however he succumbed to his injuries around 1am. The man has been identified as Michal Duncan, 30 years old of Hamlet Trace, St. Barbs, Laventille."
A gun and three rounds of 9mm ammunitions were found and seized, police said.
The report said that about fourteen hours before the fatal shooting, a group of police went to the Laventille Technology Centre in response to reports of two armed men in that area. They said when they saw the men, one had a pistol, the other a rifle, and both started shooting at them.
"The officers became fearful for their lives and returned fire. A chase ensued and continued on for some time however the men were able to escape," the report said.
The Guardian is working to confirm the identity of the victim of the fatal shooting.
