What one relative described as “A love affair gone sour” ended in tragedy on Tuesday afternoon with the deaths of two police officers in Trinidad.
They are Josette Marshall, 45, who was stationed at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, and her partner, acting Cpl Dwight Skeete, 42, from the Court and Process Department in Port of Spain.
Details of the incident
Reports are that around 2.25 pm, residents in the vicinity of Opal and Kestrel Boulevard were jolted by a woman’s screams emanating from a house.
This was shortly followed by four gunshots.
The community, shaken, quickly gathered around the property and initiated a call to the police.
In a distressing revelation, a 24-year-old relative of Marshall conveyed that she had reached out to him just moments prior, confessing to killing Skeete and indicating her intention to end her own life.
Upon their arrival, first responders discovered Skeete’s body in a bedroom and Marshall’s in the home’s corridor.
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Uncertainty surrounds events
According to media reports, ASP Persad from Homicide Region 3, stated that the specifics of the incident remained unclear.
He disclosed that the firearm used in the incident was privately owned and not police-issued.
He noted that the police would have to check the records to identify the owner.
Grief engulfs the community
The atmosphere was one of palpable grief as neighbors, peers, friends, and family congregated at the scene.
According to reports, Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher shared her profound sorrow upon receiving news of the incident.
“Today, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is plunged into mourning at the brutal shooting involving two of our own. I wish to express the deep sadness that the TTPS experienced today following reports that two police officers were involved in a deadly shooting incident in what so far appears to be a murder-suicide,” she said.
She said that the Homicide Bureau officers are actively investigating and will share updates as the case unfolds.
The Commissioner promised the support of the Victim and Witness Support Unit to the affected families and colleagues, and said,
“I extend my deepest condolences and support to the officers and their families, and to all their fellow officers in the TTPS,” she added.
A call for support and solidarity
This devastating incident prompted Insp Gideon Dickson, the president of the Police Social and Welfare Association (PSWA), to urge his peers to lean on professional help and existing support systems.
As the month marks suicide prevention, Dickson lamented the tragic manner in which the police community lost two of its members.
He said, “Regardless of the shield we wear and the uniform we adorn, police officers are human beings too.”
He emphasized the importance of mutual support and assistance and urged officers to prioritize life, including their own.
Expressing his condolences, Dickson promised that the association would reach out to offer whatever aid possible to the grieving families and colleagues.
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