(Trinidad Express) Kisseh is innocent. This is the cry of a Carenage family that is seeking answers following the police killing on Tuesday of Kisseh Lendore.
Lendore, 37, was killed in Chaguanas by CID officers who were following up on reports of a robbery at a grocery on Freedom Street Extension, Enterprise, at around 6.15 p.m. Lendore was in the company of another unidentified man, who was also shot and killed by police.
In tears, Lendore’s mother, Erline Lendore, made an emotional plea in a Facebook post yesterday that garnered thousands of views. “What is becoming of our police service in this country, Who are we supposed to protect and serve? The police are killing our children, and what I going through now a lot of parents went through.
“If my child was a criminal, I would accept it. My child was walking the right way, he was not a robber. He lost his job during the Covid, so he went to work as a mechanic and to learn the trade at the same time. Only God could judge, but I forgive the police officers,” Lendore said.
According to Lendor’s brother, who did not want to be named, there is no way police could tie Lendore, who worked as a mechanic, to the scene of any crime when he was home, all day and only left his Carenage home, to deliver a car part for his client in Chaguanas.
“The whole day he was in Carenage, so they can’t place him in any robbery in Chaguanas or anywhere else. At 9.55 that morning, my cameras at home showed him swinging into the mechanic’s yard where he worked. After 4 p.m. that afternoon, my mom saw him by the Chinese grocery in Carenage. So, all this time, he was still in Carenage. He left Carenage to drop off a transmission for the second person the police killed.
Lendore’s family believes his killing was a case of mistaken identity. “This is really shocking and confusing. Everybody in the community knows my brother to be a cool person. He is actually also the biggest coward you can find, so he would not be involved in any robbery or with any gun. He was also known as Mr Lover Man. He likes to dance, and he is into his music. He was engaged to get married next year,” Lendore’s brother said.
On Wednesday the family identified Lendore’s body at the Forensic Science Centre in St James. The family made a formal complaint to the Police Complaints Authority and is calling on the police to clear Lendore’s name. “We need justice. At least clear his name. Stop placing him at the scene of any crime. This was not who he was. We want my brother’s name to be cleared.
“This was a wrongful killing of an innocent man who is not known to be in any criminal activity. His killing has shocked the Carenage community, and we will continue to call for justice until we receive the justice Kisseh deserves.
The community is standing with us and we will hold a community meeting to discuss the way forward. We will be holding a candlelight vigil for Kisseh,” the brother said.
Trinidad family says man killed by police innocent
