The sisters of Kemo Grant, the 29-year-old man who died in a Central Police Station holding cell nearly two weeks ago, have called for a forensic pathologist to conduct the post-mortem examination on their brother’s body as soon as possible.
Their attorney, Martie Garnes, said a letter had been sent to the Coroner’s Office requesting that the island’s lone forensic pathologist perform the autopsy, as relatives seek clear answers into the circumstances surrounding Grant’s death on June 9. He was discovered unresponsive by officers conducting regulation cell checks and was later pronounced dead.
“We do not want evidence to be lost, because obviously as time goes on, the likelihood of contamination, the likelihood of decomposition – those are real issues that we would likely face and have,” the lawyer said.
“Yes, the law doesn’t say that it has to be a forensic pathologist, but we are saying look at the circumstances, and when you have these types of situations, it is always best to have the expert and the expert is the forensic pathologist.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at the office of Pilgrim and Associates, Garnes, who along with Tyra Trotman is representing Grant’s sisters Tricia and Kim, said they would be asking for a full investigation into the matter.
Garnes also argued that the time had come for station orderlies and custodians to be outfitted with body cameras to ensure full transparency. “We saw recently that Guyana is training officers in respect of using their body cams. Why is it that we are behind? We should be at the forefront of this, not just simply looking at it from criminal justice reform, but looking at it in terms of how best can we ensure that the police operate in a manner that is totally transparent.”
While insisting they were not implying foul play, Trotman added: “I would like for this to establish a standard going forward that The Barbados Police Service conducts itself in a way of excellence and no less than that.”
Kim insisted her brother was not suffering from any ailment before being taken into police custody.
“My brother was not sick. If there is one thing I can say is that he was not unhealthy,” she said, adding that she had last seen Kemo the day before he died, after he completed 100 push-ups.
Tricia added: “We would just like to get clarity, we just need the facts, we just need the truth. We need to know what happened before we lay our brother to rest.”
On Tuesday, King’s Counsel Michael Lashley called not only for a full investigation into Grant’s death but for the introduction of new legislation to safeguard the rights of individuals held in police custody, similar to the United Kingdom’s Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
He also proposed that the State appoint duty counsels through legal aid to represent suspects during police interrogations if they do not have their own lawyer, mirroring systems in Trinidad and other jurisdictions.
jeniquebelgrave@barbadostoday.bb
