Police investigate as lawman found hanging

The family of a suspended police constable found hanging early Monday morning has so far been silent about the circumstances leading up to his untimely death.

However, his neighbours at Ruby, St Philip have painted the picture of a mysterious man who everyone saw, but no one knew.

Police say around 6:30 a.m. officers from the District “C” Police Station received a report of a man found hanging at #369 Gooseberry Drive and on arrival found their colleague, 39-year-old Ryan Delano Spencer Coppin’s lifeless body with a rope around his neck.

A few hours later at the house where he was pronounced dead, the sound of gospel music filled the air. The occasional disruption of visitors passing in and out of the house was the only indication that something was amiss. Those visitors all declined to speak with Barbados TODAY.

On the inside, at least three women sat around a table. One of them indicated that his girlfriend was in no position to speak about the incident.

“We don’t do media,” she said.

Police officers have been equally silent. Police Public Relations Officer, acting Inspector Rodney Inniss told Barbados TODAY: “[The force] will not discuss any circumstances surrounding his suspension.”

Inniss did however disclose that the constable enlisted in the force around ten years ago back in 2009.

Meanwhile, his neighbours in Ruby, St Phillip have been struggling to make sense of the tragedy.

“I knew him by seeing him, but I didn’t know him,” said one resident. “He would be here and speak but he never mixed up. He was a very quiet guy and it was really shocking to hear about the incident. It is even more shocking because he is a police officer, but I suppose he was only human first.

Tony Hunte, who has been living in the Ruby community for over five years said when he heard about the incident via social media, he did not believe it.

“To be honest, when it happened I was at work at the airport. With the WhatsApp thing, one of the guys asked if I know about the hanging and I thought it was a joke. But when I checked home I realised it was real. So I came home and it turned out it was real,” Hunte said.

Though like other neighbours he did not know much about the constable, Hunte promised to keep the family in his prayers.

“All we could do now is pray for the family, pray for his girlfriend and hope for the best. That is sad news and we all could only pray at the moment,” he said.

kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb