Police in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been having a busy Sunday with an officer-involved shooting death, an attack that left a man with a fractured skull and a man falling to his death in separate incidents.
iWitness News was reliably informed that McKies Hill resident Anthony Joseph aka “Tumba”, who is said to have had mental health issues, died on Sunday morning after police shot him in the chest.
Reports are that one of Joseph’s relatives went to the police complaining that he had attacked them with a knife.
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Officers responded, accompanying the relatives to the location.
When they arrived, they told Joseph to put down the weapon. However, he allegedly rushed at the officers, one of whom discharged a round, which struck Joseph in the chest.
Well-placed sources told iWitness News that when his body was examined, Joseph had a second knife in his waist.
The fatal shooting comes just two weeks after police issued a press release informing the public that police recruits were receiving additional training in de-escalating situations involving mentally ill people.
The training was provided in partnership with the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre, the Police Public Relations Department said in a March 26 press release.
The release said the training teaches officers the escalation and de-escalation cycle, causes of escalation, imminent danger signs to identify an escalating situation, the 3 A’s of de-escalation (awareness, assessment, and action) and how to positively de-escalate a situation involving mental health patients.
Additionally, the training covered general mental health information to acquaint officers with signs and symptoms that may show declining mental health.
Meanwhile, police are also investigating an alleged assault in Lower Questelles that has left a man in hospital nursing a fractured skull.
Reports are that the man was on his way home when another man attacked and injured him.
Then, in Arnos Vale, a man died after falling from a mango tree Sunday morning.
Police are yet to comment on any of the incidents and iWitness News will bring further details as they emerge.
This article was updated to include the name of the man shot and killed by police.
Why, if you have to shoot you can’t aim for legs before you go to the chest?
It is written, thou shall not kill. For whatever you sow that will you reap.