T&T man killed by cops shot seven times

(Trinidad Guardian) Mikeal “Short Buck” Lancaster was shot three times in the head and four times in the chest at close range, an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, revealed yesterday.

Lancaster’s mother, Susan Sealey, yesterday called on the authorities to launch a full investigation into the incident, saying her son was unarmed and did not resist the officers.

“It had two big wounds to the back of his head and one to the temple and it had to be close range because they shot him in his room. They pushed him back into his room and killed him. There was no shootout. He did not have any gun on him,” Sealey told the T&T Guardian after the autopsy, which was conducted by Dr Hughvon des Vignes.

Initially, it was reported that on Saturday morning Lancaster was shot and killed during an alleged shootout with police while at his Dan Kelly, Picton Road, Laventille home.

However, his 52-year-old mother said yesterday she was at home when about seven police stormed into her house.

“They told me they had a warrant but they never presented anything to me. The evidence could show I have nothing to lie about. When he come out his room they pushed him back. I thought they would have been handcuffing him, next thing I see a police woman run back because she saw when they were going to shoot him and she ran back because she didn’t want to pick up any bullets.”

Sealey said she only heard two loud gunshots, noting they must have covered up the other ones.

Mikeal “Short Buck” Lancaster

“When they done shoot him they bring him out in a sheet and placed him on a platform to breeze out. I saw blood spraying out and I asked them why they had to shoot my son like that, so many times. The police try to run me but I did not move.”

Sealey said she remembered seeing a lot of police in and around her home and believed they had come there that morning after 5 am with only one motive, which she said was to kill her son.

Sealey said her son had his good ways and bad ways, but still didn’t deserve to die like that. She admitted he was a suspect in a murder investigation, but added that he was never charged and never had any run-ins with the law in previous years.

“Nobody, not even the biggest gangster, deserves a death like that. They could have handcuff him and take him away and lock him up. They did not have to shoot him up like that,” Sealey said.

Residents staged a fiery protest at the John John traffic lights following the shooting, forcing motorists attempting to enter and exit the capital city through the Beetham flyover, Eastern Main Road and the Priority Bus Route to come to a standstill. Laventille MP Fitzgerald Hinds also had to intervene to calm the situation.

Lancaster was one of three men shot by police over the weekend.

Yesterday, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) said it had started investigations into Lancaster’s shooting and that of two other men in Ste Madeleine and La Romaine.

It urged any witnesses to the respective incidents to come to its Level 24 Tower D, International Waterfront Centre offices to lodge a formal complaint or statement to facilitate the investigation of the incidents.

Asked if she was going to do as requested by the PCA, Sealey said: “I already spoke to an investigator, who assured me that they are looking into it. I am afraid that I will be victimised and I think that other people would be afraid to come forward too.

“I really don’t like the idea of police investigating police, because I am very doubtful because I feel that the police will cover up for the police but I have nothing to lie about.”

Later this evening, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams and Hinds are expected to meet with residents.