Police are on high alert in the marginal Moruga/Tableland constituency following the fatal police-involved shooting of Shumba James, a well-known resident and key witness in a 2011 police killings case.
James, 42, was one of four people killed in separate police shootings across the country within 12 hours on April 25.
Recently released without charge after being detained under a ministerial order during the now-ended state of emergency (SoE), James was shot alongside his friend, Visham Ryan Hosein, 33, in their home community of St Mary's Village, Moruga, shortly after 10 am.
Earlier that morning, around 9.30 am, a suspect, Ronelle "Ratty" Marcelle, 35, was shot dead in Bethel in Tobago.
The first fatal shooting occurred just after midnight, around 12.05 am, in Longdenville, Chaguanas, where Devon Sotio, 45, was killed after a police chase.
In Moruga, the street was cordoned off for hours as residents and relatives gathered near the scene.
Tensions ran high, with several vowing to protest what they called the "assassination" of James and Hosein.
James' father, Frank Gill, alleged that police assassinated his son, the third of his sons to be killed by police over the years.
Gill said James was a special voter and had earlier cast his ballot in the Moruga/Tableland constituency.
"He was coming home. People like to talk, but Shumba was a loving man. They had him in jail and waited until he came out to kill him. I was in my garden when I got the news. They say he had a gun – (that's a) lie!"
"My child would never jump in a car with a gun. The police call my children pests and call me a pest too. Ask the villagers here – they love me."
Gill further claimed a police officer threatened him, saying, "You're next."
He also accused officers of previously trying to poison James during his SoE detention by "putting plastic in his food."
The SoE ran from December 30, 2024, to April 13, 2025.
Relatives said both Hosein and James were UNC supporters "seeking betterment for the community."
The double shooting occurred on Moruga Main Road, near B's Sports Bar and Saunders Trace.
James, a father of two, lived at Simon Trace, while Hosein, a father of one, lived at Rochard Douglas Road.
Eyewitnesses claimed James was a passenger in a Nissan Tiida driven by Hosein when an unmarked police van blocked their path.
Realising it was the police, the two reportedly raised their hands in surrender – but were still fired upon.
Hosein allegedly got out and collapsed in a nearby drain.
Both men were taken to the Princes Town District Health Facility, where they were declared dead.
Relatives described Hosein as humble and hardworking and are demanding a full investigation into the shooting. However, police maintain the occupants of the car opened fire first, prompting officers to return fire.
ACP Mystar confirmed that two guns were recovered.
Without giving details on the potential protests, Mystar added that police were "aware of their intentions."
Shumba James was a main eyewitness in the 2011 police shooting that claimed the lives of Abigail Johnson, 23; Alana Duncan, 28; and Kerron "Fingers" Eccles, 26; on July 22, 2011, on Rochard Douglas Road.
That case led to widespread protests in Moruga, which lasted for days.
Seven officers were initially charged; six were acquitted in November 2023, while the seventh turned state witness but ultimately refused to testify.
In response to the possible protest, Acting Police Commissioner Junior Benjamin said: We expect that. Every time the police take a stand, and a police-involved shooting occurs, protests often follow."
"However, when criminals take lives, there is often silence – no protests, no reports, no outrage. We need to get this right and be fair to the system. Once all the facts are revealed, we must stand by the truth – wherever it leads us. If those involved are found to have been armed, it suggests that their intentions were not innocent."
Benjamin assured that the police were fully prepared for any protest activity.
"We are working to control the crime situation, and it is becoming increasingly clear that our efforts are making a difference."
He added, "We have recorded 51 fewer murders compared to the same period last year. That is phenomenal progress. It reflects our zero-tolerance approach to crime and validates the effectiveness of our current strategies.
"Let us allow these results to speak for themselves. At the end of the day, our mission is to save lives."
Earlier this week, Benjamin, at a media briefing in Port of Spain, said police were investigating potential threats aimed at disrupting the election.
He had warned that anyone seeking to break the law in relation to the election would be dealt with decisively.
Benjamin reiterated his firm stance on April 25.
"When individuals challenge our officers, we will not back down. That has always been my mantra – comply with your officers."
He added that many recent incidents stemmed from suspects confronting police while carrying illegal weapons.
"Let me be clear: we are on a mission to ensure the safety and security of our communities, and we will not retreat from that responsibility."
Benjamin assured the public that all police-involved shootings would be thoroughly investigated under standard procedures and stressed the importance of training officers in de-escalation techniques.
He concluded, "From the information currently available, I am confident that my officers acted within the bounds of the law. They have my full support – as long as they operate within our protocols."
Tragedy has repeatedly struck James' family of Moruga.
James' brother Oba Gill, 31, and friend Brandon Seenath, 34, were both fatally shot in Moruga on April 22, 2024, by police.
In May 2005, another brother, Lester James, was killed in a police-involved shooting.
In 2007, a fourth brother, Italo James, 25, was also killed. Their father, Gill, was charged with Italo's murder but was acquitted in 2018.
On April 25, in the Tobago killing, officers said they attempted to arrest Marcelle, who was wanted for several offences.
Marcelle reportedly resisted arrest and attacked the officer with a knife and a cutlass.
A struggle ensued, during which police, acting in self-defense, shot him.
Marcelle was taken to the Scarborough General Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment.
When Newsday visited Bethel on April 25, all seemed calm.
One resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they knew Marcelle very well.
"I know him, but I really don't mix with him. He was a pest, ask anyone around here they will tell you that. Ratty was a nuisance around here."
Another man said: "Ratty, boy, rest in peace, that's all I can say."
In the Chaguanas shooting, police were in a roadblock exercise along Caparo Brasso Valley Road near Samirah's Park, Longdenville, where a silver Toyota Soluna approached the checkpoint.
The car stopped and began reversing at what police described as a "high rate of speed" in the opposite direction.
Officers chased the car, using their swivel lights and siren.
The police reported that the car then turned and began driving towards police, evading officers.
At Gail Trace, the driver, later identified as Sotio, lost control of the car which crashed into a wagon parked along the roadway.
Sotio got out of the car and pointed a gun at the police, prompting them to open fire.
Sotio was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre, where he was pronounced dead at 12. 28 am.
A gun with two live rounds was reportedly recovered from the car's front passenger seat.
(With reporting by Corey Connelly and Joey Bartlett)
