Hours after criminal elements fire-bombed her car soon after she arrived home following a day of responding to fiery protests in Port-of-Spain on Tuesday, Ag Cpl Moleka Christopher yesterday vowed not to be run out of the community she had grown up in.
An officer for the past 17 years, Christopher said while her family’s safety remains uppermost in her mind she will continue to do her job and uphold the law without fear or favour.
Declining to be photographed when Guardian Media visited her home yesterday, Christopher, who lives opposite to Desperadoes’ panyard in Laventille, said the unfortunate incident developed when the access road to her home was blocked during protests on Tuesday.
“I was trying to get out and couldn’t so I called the patrol to assist to get them to stop because they weren’t budging when I asked them. The patrol came and they had a little confrontation…the officers run them down and one person was detained. Prior to the officers coming, they were talking about all police have to feel it because of what they going through how many years now and we taking advantage of them as police.”
The riots were sparked by the police killings of Joel Jacob, Noel Diamond and Israel Clinton in Second Caledonia, Morvant, last Saturday.
After concluding her duty shift on Tuesday and returning home around 1 am yesterday, Christopher said she parked her car on her property and entered the house.
As she chatted with her family about the protests earlier, Christopher said, “We heard the loud explosion and we were shaken at first, wondering what it was.”
Christopher said they then heard a crackling sound and upon checking realised her car had been sent on fire. The malicious move also led to her sister’s car being damaged.
Christopher said she has lived in the community for the past 38 years and never had any problems with residents.
Although her two sisters are also police officers, Christopher said, “I believe it has to do with the protest action against the injustice they say they are experiencing by the police.”
She added, “It’s a typical case of monkey see, monkey do because these guys were up yesterday and they were pretty normal until they start to see social media with all this happening and they decide to get in on the action.”
Christopher thanked her TTPS colleagues and the fire service for their quick response to the incident.
“My temperament is not one to back down or be scared. Several years ago they would have chased my neighbour out of her home and they have not been back since but I can say on the record that they will not be chasing my family out of here.”