The alleged intruder who was shot and killed by a police officer in Fairbairn Pasture on Thursday was wearing only boxer shorts and slippers, police said in a statement today (Monday).
The statement came less than 24 hours after iWitness News published an article in which a lawyer representing the family of the slain man said he was seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding his death.
On Monday, the Police Public Relations and Complaints Department identified the deceased man as Ravito Ronaldo Bertram Llewellyn Jr., 24, of Sion Hill/Fairbairn Pasture and also confirmed that he was fatally shot by a police officer.
The statement said that the shooting occurred in Fairbairn Pasture on Thursday and that police have launched into the circumstances surrounding the homicide.
“According to preliminary information, Llewellyn was shot at about 4:00 a.m. while he reportedly was attempting to unlawfully enter the apartment where the officer resides. He consequently died at the scene. At the time of the incident, the deceased was wearing only a boxer and a pair of slippers,” the police statement said.
It said the district medical officer was summoned to the scene and pronounced Llewellyn dead.
“A post-mortem examination will be conducted on the deceased to determine the cause of death. Following the conclusion of the investigations, a Coroner’s Inquest may be held into the shooting incident,” the police said.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), a coroner’s inquest is held when someone dies in sudden or unnatural circumstances but there is no one who is obviously criminally liable for the death.
The inquiry, which is a judicial investigation, seeks to determine whether the death was caused by an unlawful act or failure to act on the part of any person or persons.
“The Commissioner of Police extends condolences to the family and friends of the deceased as they mourn his death,” the police said.
Multiple sources have told iWitness News that Llewellyn aka “Bjay” was shot and killed by a female corporal of police attached to one of the specialised units of the constabulary.
Llewellyn death brings to four the number of people shot and killed by police in SVG this year.
However, unlike the other three, he was killed by an officer who, from all indication, was off duty, and in circumstances unrelated to her work.
Days of silence
Police are breaking their silence four days after the killing and amidst reports that senior police officers are objecting to the media describing as homicides some of the killings in the country, including the three people that police officers had shot and killed in the line of duty before last week.
A well-placed source told iWitness News on Monday that after Llewellyn was killed, police conducted a search at his home and removed items that the shooter reported said were stolen from her apartment during a previous burglary.
On Sunday, Jomo Thomas, a lawyer for Llewellyn’s family told iWitness News that he and Llewellyn’s family were equally in the dark as the public regarding what happened.
“There’s nothing that I can say. The family does not even know where this young man was shot,” Thomas told iWitness News.
“All we know is that the place they assume is less than 50 feet from his father’s house, where he lived.”
The lawyer said he had seen reports in the media saying that it was alleged that Llewellyn was an intruder.
“We have no evidence that he was an intruder. They said he was there with about three other persons. We have no evidence that that was the case.”
“All we know is that he worked with Mark Richardson and they dropped him home between 3:30 and 4 a.m., which is around the same time when he was shot. Stranger things have happened but there is a little scepticism about him leaving work at 3 o’clock then going to rob somebody’s house at 4 o’clock.”
Thomas said he had not spoken with Llewellyn’s father, but Llewellyn’s sister had related to him (Thomas) a conversation she had with Llewellyn’s father.
“… and this is double hearsay,” the lawyer noted, adding, “The sister said her father told her when he (the father) was leaving to go probably to work at about four o’clock, he saw some police in the area, which was close to his house.”
He said the family was informed around five hours later that Llewellyn had been killed.
“… at nine o’clock, they got a call which said that they must go to the mortuary and the sister went to the mortuary and recognised the young man as her brother”.
Thomas said that he called the Calliaqua Police Station hoping to speak to the station sergeant of police who is said to be leading the investigation.
He said he was told that the senior officer was on leave until Monday.
Thomas told iWitness News the corporal with whom he spoke “could give me no information, except he said whatever question I have, he would keep them and he would convey them to [the] station sergeant … because he thought she might have come in yesterday.
“He was kind enough to call me back in the evening to say that [the station sergeant] did not come in but he’s still committed to conveying the questions and getting me some answers.”
Thomas said that he and Llewellyn’s family are hoping that the police took pictures of the scene of the shooting.
“Evidently, where he was shot, the blood and everything was swept up in short order,” the lawyer told iWitness News.
“I would like to know the doctor who declared him dead because that would be crucial for us. Because the doctor will be able to say precisely where he was at the time when he was killed.”
He said Llewellyn’s sister told him that when she identified the body at the morgue, “understandably, she couldn’t touch him.
“But they wouldn’t turn his head … She couldn’t tell me where he was shot. But she said part of it is that she was distraught and so on and did not pay close enough attention. She said she saw some blood but you didn’t know where the blood emanated from. But that’s all I know,” Thomas told iWitness News.
In addition to Llewellyn, this year, police have shot and killed two mentally ill men whom they were trying to take into custody, as well as a man in Kingstown, who they alleged shot at them.
Llewellyn’s death brings the homicide count in SVG this year to 27. The count includes the three other people shot and killed by police.
The count does not include those people who lost their lives as a consequence of being struck by vehicles allegedly driven recklessly.
(This article was updated to correct the homicide count.)
Sounds like something is being covered up..relationship ? Argument?
He in his underwear and slippers. Something not sound right at all. Questions need to be ask about that. Was he having relations with the officer. Was he about to rape the officer. Was he called by the officer to her place. I never heard of someone breaking in to a house with slippers and underwear to go stole things. He was just dropped home from work at 3am to 4 am. Something is fishy.
So why wait four days before speaking? Something very stinks . It is written, What ever is in darkness will one day be brought in the light and whatever is hidden will one day. be exposed. For many that will go down to hell, will be. NUMBERLESS as the sand on the seashore. Teach me O LORD to number my days , so that I can apply my hear unto wisdom.
Something definitely does not sound right about this. The officer needs to be put on desk duties until a full, comprehensive and independent investigation is carried out.
Someone going to commit a burglary in his boxer’s and slippers only just doesn’t sound logical.