PORT-OF-SPAIN – Drama unfolded in Tunapuna on Friday as two women, identified as robbery suspects, were shot and killed by a policewoman. The officer shot the women after she responded to a robbery at the Tunapuna Market.
The victims were identified as Latoya Mars, 26, and Susan Frederick, who police said could be in her mid-30s. Both victims were from the Factory Road, Diego Martin community, police said.
WPC Patrice St Louis, who fired the two fatal shots, was highly commended by market vendors for her decisive action.
A man, who claimed he was the nephew of one of the women, expressed shock over the incident.
Mars was shot in the head and died at the scene, while Frederick sustained a gunshot injury to the upper left side of her body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.
Up to late Friday, WPC St Louis was being treated by a psychologist, police said. Minutes after the shooting, St Louis broke down in tears and had to be consoled by a male colleague who was on duty with her.
Several market vendors who spoke with the Express after the incident, said the shooting was justified. The vendors said St Louis repeatedly called on the suspect in the car to surrender and stop their vehicle, but the women ignored the calls.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, market vendor Andrea Amoroso, 26, of D’Abadie, was attending to a customer when she turned her back for a few seconds, only to discover one of the women had stolen her bag, which reportedly contained $7 000.
Amoroso ran after the suspects and managed to get part of her body inside the car as it was being driven away by Mars. Amoroso was eventually thrown out of the car by Frederick, but St Louis had arrived on the scene and repeatedly ordered the suspects to stop.
Scores of people gathered at the scene, many of them saying they believed justice was served in the incident. (Trinidad Express)
