(Trinidad Express) Relatives of a man who allegedly committed suicide inside a police station holding cell yesterday faced off with police officers in a confrontation that descended into a fist fight.
Jason Lord, 29, of Laventille Road in San Juan, was arrested yesterday after a warrant was issued for outstanding maintenance money.
Lord, who was said to have owed TT$32,200 in maintenance money, was detained at the San Juan Police Station yesterday.
Hours after his arrest Lord was found hanging inside the station’s holding cell.
Lord is said to have used his belt to kill himself.
When news of Lord’s death spread, aggrieved relatives arrived one by one at the police station.
Lord’s sister, Crystal, who was the first to arrive, said:
“I saw the body wrapped up on the ground and I asked them if that is my brother there.”
Crystal said she was told by officers to go to another section of the police station to have her questions answered.
By the time Crystal exited the police station undertakers from Ideal Funeral Home had removed Lord’s body and the District Medical Officer had already pronounced Lord dead.
“They take the body, they pass through the back gate, drive off and then tell me ‘they have nobody name of Jason Lord here’,” Crystal said.
The second relative to arrive on the scene was Lord’s girlfriend, Crystal St John.
St John screamed, cried and eventually fainted when she heard Lord had died.
St John questioned the picture being painted by police about the circumstances surrounding Lord’s death.
“He not going to hang himself for no maintenance money. If it is he in a cell how can he hang himself with a belt. They taking your belt, your shoelace everything when you get arrested,” St John said.
The third relative to arrive on the scene was Lord’s mother, Christobel.
“Which one of allyuh is the murderer here!” Christobel shouted as she entered the door to the San Juan Police Station.
Christobel said Lord had intended to leave Trinidad and Tobago today and migrate to Canada to do a job.
He was looking forward to the overseas trip, Christobel said, and denied claims by the police that Lord killed himself.
She cried for her firstborn son who was expected to celebrate his 30th birthday next month.
The emotional scene however turned violent when Nekeisha Pierre, the mother of Lord’s son Marcus, arrived at the police station.
Crystal blamed Pierre for Lord’s death and slapped her (Pierre’s) cellphone out of her hand.
A police officer responded to the situation and slapped Crystal across her face.
In quick response Crystal then hit the police officer several cuffs to his face.
Crystal and the officer began to scuffle.
The officer sustained blows to his left eye, lip and his police shirt was ripped.
Lord’s other relatives intervened and restrained Crystal.
The relatives eventually all left the police station.
A warrant is said to have been issued for Crystal’s arrest.
An autopsy on Lord’s body is scheduled to be performed at the Forensic Science Centre located at Barbados Road, Federation Park in Port of Spain today.
