kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob has said that Jehlano Romney remains a person of interest and that only when investigators finish interviewing him they will determine whether he is a witness or a suspect.
Romney remained in police custody yesterday being questioned about the incident that led to the death of PC Clarence Gilkes on Rich Plain Road, Diego Martin last week Friday.
Jacob, however, has assured there will not be a repeat of alleged police torture in custody.
Romney, 29, of Diego Martin, fled to Venezuela after the death of Gilkes as police labelled him as the killer.
He surrendered to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) Wednesday night and recorded a statement before homicide investigators took him into their custody.
Jacobs told Guardian Media that the officers at the Homicide Bureau of Investigations are high-level professionals with the ability to interview people.
“In no way do they get themselves into that sort of behaviour, so I think he will be safe with Homicide,” Jacob said.
He said Romney was a person of interest assisting the Police Service and has not been classified as a witness or accused. He said investigators interviewed Romney on Thursday night and allowed him to rest before resuming talks yesterday morning.
He said when he gets the information from investigators, he might be able to determine whether Romney was a witness or suspect.
As it stands, investigators describe the death of Gilkes as an incident involving the death of a police officer. As the investigation furthers and details come to hand, this could change.
He said the Homicide Bureau investigates the deaths of people, whether murder, suicide, attempted suicide or manslaughter.
Investigators will call on the Professional Standards Bureau to join the investigation if they identify police complicity.
Meanwhile, PCA Director David West said they are carrying out an independent inquiry into the death of Gilkes. West said the PCA could solicit documents from any public body to aid its investigation under the Police Complaints Authority Act.
Therefore, the PCA will request a report from the Homicide Bureau and compare it to its findings.
Jacobs said the three officers involved in the shooting remain on administrative duty as they await the outcome of the homicide investigation.
He said as the executive of the TTPS gets more information, they will know how to deal with the officers.
On April 22, Gilkes and three other Western Division Task Force officers went to Rich Plain Road around 3 pm to execute a search warrant on a suspect. There was an alleged exchange of gunfire resulting in Gilkes’ death.
As police searched for Romney, he hid, believing his life was in danger.
Rich Plain Road residents contended that the bullet that struck Gilkes came from a police officer.
An autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre last Monday revealed that the bullet entered the back of Gilkes’ head.
Following the autopsy, Jacob called on Romney to turn himself in to the police and give his side of the story.
