Three years after Laventille resident Ancil Moore was killed in a shoot-out with police, four constables were yesterday cleared of any wrongdoing. The officers-PCs Anthon Thomas, Don Crawford, Mark Clarke and Andre George-were before Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan in a coroner's inquest in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates' Court.
Their conduct had been called into question after Moore's death. The officers, who appeared elated after Cardenas-Ragoonanan's ruling, left the courtroom smiling as they shook hands with their lawyer, Senior Counsel Israel Khan. The officers were before the Coroner's Court in relation to Moore, who died on February 18, 2009, of multiple internal injuries and haemorrhaging because of gunshot wounds.
During the inquest, several witnesses testified that the four officers, who were assigned to the Inter-Agency Task Force, spotted Moore, who was in the company of two friends. The witnesses testified that Moore and the other two men ran. The court heard that the officers ordered them to stop but were shot at. The officers returned fire. Moore was found lying on the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds, while his two friends escaped.
A 9 mm pistol was found next to Moore's body. Moore was pronounced dead on arrival at Port-of-Spain General Hospital. According to police records, the other two men who were with Moore during the incident remained unidentified. After Cardenas-Ragoonanan delivered her ruling, Khan said it was his opinion, from the evidence on the case, that the officers were always innocent of the allegations of foul play.
Khan said: "Every time there is a police killing in Laventille, residents immediately say it is cold-blooded murder by police." He claimed that this case was one of self-defence by the officers, who were shot at by the men, who first opened fire. He said no witnesses came forward during the inquest to dispute the evidence of the officers.
The officers were also represented by attorneys Subhas Panday and Shoba Nanlal, while Marlon Moore (no relation) sought the interest of Moore and his family.