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WOMAN COP KILLS 2 BANDITS
2 female bandits shot dead
By Akile Simon
akile.simon@trinidadexpress.com

DRAMA unfolded in Tunapuna yesterday as two women, identified as robbery suspects, were shot and killed by a policewoman assigned to the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation Municipal Police. The officer shot the women after she responded to a robbery at the Tunapuna Market.

The victims were identified as Latoya Mars, 26, and Susan Frederick, who police said could be in her mid-30s. Both victims are from the Factory Road, Diego Martin, community, police said.

WPC Patrice St Louis, who fired the two fatal shots, was highly commended by market vendors for her decisive action.

A man, who claimed he was the nephew of one of the women, expressed shock over the incident at the scene, saying his aunt told him she was going to collect something in Tunapuna.

Mars was shot in the head and died at the scene, while Frederick sustained a gunshot injury to the upper left side of her body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

Frederick was taken to the facility by PCs Winsden Rajcoomar and Ronan Newton, of the Tunapuna CID, who first responded to the incident. She was found lying face-down in a drain and had a gash to her face, which officers believe she may have sustained when she struck her head on the pavement.

Frederick, police said, was found in a crouched position behind the steering wheel of a car.

The deceased were reportedly attempting to flee the scene of the robbery when Mars, the driver of the vehicle—a white Nissan Sunny, licensed PAM 8680—drove north onto St Vincent Street, which is a one-way street, in attempting to elude police. After they were shot, Mars crashed into a Peugeot motorcar parked near the corner of Sapodilla and St Vincent Streets.

Up to late yesterday, WPC St Louis was being treated by a psychologist, police said. Minutes after the shooting, St Louis broke down in tears and had to be consoled by a male colleague who was on duty with her. She is expected, later today, to be interviewed by acting ASP Neville Sankar and Sgt Basdeo Sinanan, who are probing the incident.

Several vendors at the market who spoke with the Express after the incident, said the shooting was justified. The vendors said St Louis repeatedly called on the suspect in the car to surrender and stop their vehicle, but the women ignored the calls.

Around 12.30 p.m. yesterday, market vendor Andrea Amoroso, 26, of D'Abadie, was attending to a customer when she turned her back for a few seconds, only to discover one of the women had stolen her bag, which reportedly contained $7,000.

Amoroso ran after the suspects and managed to get part of her body inside the car as it was being driven away by Mars. Amoroso was eventually thrown out of the car by Frederick, but St Louis had arrived on the scene and repeatedly ordered the suspects to stop.

"But they continued driving up the one-way street and she (St Louis) fired two shots at the vehicle," Hosein said.

Scores of people gathered at the scene, many of them saying they believed justice was served in the incident. There was no sympathy for the female victims, with one woman stating that within recent times there were too many women involved in criminal activities.

"I thought it was men in the car, but I couldn't believe it when, after the car crashed, one of them (suspects) came out holding her face, crying for her Mommy, then she fall down inside the drain before police take she to hospital," a woman said.

"You see, you can't even trust some women nowadays, because some of them doing the same thing men doing and even worse. Why couldn't they work hard for whatever they want?" said a vendor who did not wish to be identified.

"Let me get to see she face, cause ah woman rob me up by the corner the other day," said another woman, as she tried to get a glimpse of the body inside the vehicle.

Market vendors heaped praises on St Louis, even though she was not present after the incident. They said St Louis did exactly what she took an oath to do—protect and serve.

"She (St Louis) should be awarded. She real good, boy. I thought she miss when she fire the two shots, but she really good. She take out two bandits and that's what we need here, because too many times we are victims of robbery," vendor Haroon Mohammed said of the incident.

"She (St Louis) is a very hard-working officer who always look out for the vendors here in the market and she's not the type that would shoot to kill anyone, even though this incident is so sad and she started to cry right on the scene."

Several streets in and around the market had to be temporarily closed by police as they processed the scene for more than five hours. Officers said they recovered a revolver, three wigs, a quantity of clothing and Amoroso's bag, which was stolen, among other items in the car.

Head of the Northern Division Snr Supt Stephen Ramsubhag said any incidents of lawlessness would not be tolerated by police.

"We are going to do everything in our power as police officers to ensure that law and order prevails, especially leading up to the Christmas period," Ramsubhag told the Express while at the crime scene.

"This incident that occurred here, even though it has to be thoroughly investigated, is true testimony that my officers would be out in full force to ensure that shoppers and law-abiding citizens can go about their business without fear.

"Criminals, beware! We are going to find you wherever you are and ensure that you are brought to justice, and any acts of lawlessness would be dealt with in accordance of the law, and none shall be spared."

Sankar, acting Supt Hendron Moses, Sgts Nafeez Mohammed and Basdeo Sinanan and officers of the Northern Division visited the scene.

Sankar and Sinanan are continuing investigations.

An autopsy is to be conducted on the victims at the Forensic Science Centre in St James on Tuesday