A 13-year-old boy was shot to death by an off duty police officer on Friday night.
The victim is Andrew Wallace and he was killed by Constable Randy Sanchez who is attached to the Criminal Intelligence Unit. The Police Department is claiming it was a justified homicide, while Wallace's family says it was more like cold-blooded murder. 7NEWS has been on the story since Friday night and that is where Keith Swift picks it up.
Keith Swift Reporting, [keithkswift@gmail.com]
This was the scene on East Collet Canal between Kut and Mex Avenue around 9 pm on Friday night. Our 7NEWS cameras were there as the body of 13-year-old Andrew Wallace lay lifelessly in the middle of the street. There is the familiar scene of the victim's family arriving to the morbid sight, police investigators scouring the crime scene, and a swarm of onlookers. And while it may have looked like just another murder - it wasn't and though the slightly built 13-year-old lying in the middle of the street may have looked like an innocent victim - police say he wasn't.
Sr. Supt. Mario Vernon, Head of N.C.I.B.
"Two youngsters on bicycles made an attempt, at least one of them with a firearm, made an attempt, it would seem, to kill another youngster. That shot
fortunately missed its target. At the time, coincidentally, a police officer and his wife, also a police officer, were off duty and in civilian clothing and they perceived all this. The officer had with him a regulation firearm that was issued to him and he shouted at the assailant to freeze because this is the police. The assailant turned towards the police officer and was taking aim and the officer quite rightly fired about four shots."
The young teen on the ground died at the hands of off-duty police constable Randy Sanchez and his Department issued 9-millimeter gun. PC Sanchez fired four shots and killed Wallace on the spot. Police say the shooting was justified because Wallace was armed with a 38 special revolver and he had murder on his mind. For proof, this morning the police's senior command marched out for the media the young man who Wallace was allegedly aiming at. He spoke to the media but for obvious reasons his identity cannot be revealed.
Alleged Target of Andrew Wallace,
"On Friday evening I left an alley and was on Kut Avenue and I was going towards the bridge and my mind told me to turn back. When I turned back, I saw the two young boys approaching me. I really wasn't worrying about nothing because I didn't have any problems with them. I made out their face and thing and I know two of them and I saw the young boys get closer and I saw the deceased hand the next young man his bike and he came towards us and he fired a shot after me."
And that says Senior Superintendent Mario Vernon, who heads the National Crimes Investigation Branch, gave the off-duty constable all reason to use force to subdue the young Wallace - it just so happens the force was deadly.
Sr. Supt. Mario Vernon,
"Well we saw at least two out of three shots registering middle to lower body, we saw that, and it may be justified in him shooting that fellow to the extent of killing because the law says that if you are preventing murder, it is one of the crimes if you are preventing then you may be justified up to the extent of killing the other person. The fact was that he had a firearm, he had already shoot one shot, he was aiming to do another, and the law is saying if you are above a certain age of 7 then you could be criminally liable to commit a crime."
No gun was found on Andrew but police investigators say PC Sanchez did find the 38 special revolver which the young man had fired.
Sr. Supt. Mario Vernon,
"There was an apparent and obvious effort made by him because he threw it in that direction and it landed just short of the canal."
Jules Vasquez,
So you have that weapon?
Sr. Supt. Mario Vernon,
"We have that firearm, it is a 38 special. It was loaded at that time with four live rounds and there was the expended shell in keeping with the shot that he had fired."
And while the Police Department's top brass was marched out this morning to talk about Andrew Wallace, they didn't have much to say about the officer who actually did the shooting. There was also no comment on his past 4 years on the force. His commanding officer would only say that there is no reason to place Sanchez on interdiction.
Crispin Jeffries Sr., Assistant Commissioner of Police
"There is no reason to interdict or suspend PC Sanchez at this time. He has not been arrested, the matter is still under investigation. As soon as such directive comes from the DPP, whichever way it goes, we will act accordingly."
Sr. Supt. Mario Vernon,
"I am convinced to a point that the police officer who is Mr. Sanchez, his actions were justified. I say to a point because we know that it is conclusive until this matter either goes to a criminal trial or a coroner's inquest."
But while the police high command may be convinced and are just about ready to close the book on this as a justifiable homicide, Andrew's mother Irene Wallace isn't ready to turn the page.
Irene Wallace, Andrew's Mother
"I believe that he got shot innocent and because of a stupid police behaving ignorantly. I don't believe no part of the story the police are giving out because they are giving out so many conflicting reports which don't make any sense. The point and the fact is that my son is already dead and a dead man carries no tale. All they have to say is that they shot the man and that is it. We know they shot him, he is dead, but don't bring up any kind of bogus charges or stories because you are only painting blacker than he is already black and you are only painting him uglier than he already is ugly in the hospital morgue right now."
And this morning Wallace showed me these pictures of Andrew which the family took in the morgue. She says they show that her son who weighed under 100 pounds isn't the murderous gunman that the police have painted him as.
Irene Wallace,
"They portray my son as a man in the wild wild west which doesn't make any sense. Because when he dropped, and I have witnesses who can say that when he dropped, he dropped on his side with his hands opened and so where did the gun go. A lot of people saw things but people fear because of the behavior and intimidation from the police. But me, I am not afraid anymore because the impression they give me is that policemen will have to start to dead now."
Wallace was also less than impressed with the police's effort to get out their side of the story. She says all they are doing is adding insult to their injury.
Irene Wallace,
"It is a little ghetto youth from a poor family and that is why they are saying all of this. But all I can say is that maybe they can take the body, shot it up some more, and piece by piece I would want the Commissioner and all
of them get a piece of it to eat; that is what I want them to do."
Keith Swift,
So you think they shot Andrew for no reason?
Irene Wallace,
"I don't know top answer that. I don't know what to say to that. The only person who could answer that is Andrew and he is not here."
So while Irene Wallace concedes that she doesn't have all the answers as to why her son was shot by the police - she says she does know the pain of losing a son.
Irene Wallace,
"Its very hard as a matter. It's hard especially when you try to raise your children and life is so hard out yah. Its very hard as a mother, I lost one last year and now this year. Will I have to look out for a burial for one next year? That is the way how they are giving it to me now. There is no use in going to the police. If anything might happen to my family now, I can't run to the police because I don't trust them now. They don't give me any courage to trust them. The police that shot my son should be man enough to come and apologize to me. I grieve but I grieve in my own way and nobody knows how much it hurts. I try to be calm right now because I am getting over a little sickness but it hurts. But I can't grieve for my children to see because I have my other smaller kids to live for. The police are making me create bad image about them and you are creating bad image, you never know what that person will do. You know how I will react. Don't trust me because you never know what will happen. I am grieving because I will forever grieve because its my child. This happen now and its like they are killing him all over again and they are killing me too. The man is already dead, don't bring up bogus witness and say nothing because everybody knows the little boy had no gun."
And for this grieving mother, the issue of whether Andrew was wielding a gun or not is really no consolation - all she knows is that her teenaged boy is dead at the hands of the police; while the department believes that their officer acted to protect life.
Police tonight have Wallace's alleged accomplice, a 16 year old detained pending charges. Police say the 15 year old will likely be charged with abetment to commit murder.
Andrew Wallace is a recent graduate of the Friend's Boy School and was scheduled to start Anglican Cathedral College next week Monday as well as celebrate his 14th birthday. Constable Randy Sanchez has been with the Police Department for four years. Over the weekend he was held for 48 hours and was released last night. He is not on interdiction but has been put on leave. The case file is now in the hands of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Andrew Wallace's older brother Charles Wallace Jr. was killed in April of 2004. His murder is still unsolved. Another one of Andrew's brother Richard Wallace was charged earlier this year for allegedly killing Arleigh Guild at Old College Beach.
