Tonight, one day after 20-year-old Derrick Uh's family laid him to rest, the four police officers who allegedly contributed to his death have been criminally charged and had their day in court.
In somewhat of a surprise - the four were charged - the most senior among them - Inspector Isaias Sanchez who briefed the officers about the two prisoners in the van. The next most senior is the Sergeant, Rosario Romero, who is the diarist who recorded Uh's detention. And then constables Alrick Borland who helped to detain Uh at the San Joaquin fair, and PC Errol Peralta, who drove the prisoner van from San Joaquin to Corozal. All four face charges because they all knew Uh was in the van, but none of them followed up - and he was found dead 13 hours later.
So, they were charged not with manslaughter by negligence but the more severe charge of manslaughter. Cherisse Halsall was at the courthouse in Corozal and brings us the lead-up to and the aftermath of the arraignment.:
The action started at around 2:30 when the six cops who are allegedly responsible for the death of 20-year-old Derrick Uh, made the perp walk from the police station cell to the Magistrate's Court. And while the media had cameras at the ready since morning, their police colleagues were on the defensive to protect and serve their accused colleagues - by keeping them from the glare of the camera lens. First, they cleared a path and later intermingled uniformed officers in with the accused to create confusion.
Then we found out that we'd been barred from entering the courtroom - a popular suppression of the press technique since the start of the COVID pandemic. The COMPOL said that we'd only be barred on the order of the magistrate. Reliable reports later told us that a family representative of one of the accused officers had made the request - which is no justification to bar a public process. But the officers and their attorneys had to re-emerge at some point and at --- when they finally did. We got this recap from attorney for PC Peralta, Norman Rodriguez.
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney-At-Law
"Well, it's the usual proceeding if you're charged for a crime, you are brought before the court. You are arraigned where you are read the charge and plea is taken but because this one is indictable; no plea was taken. Then, after that the issue of bail arises. There was no objection to bail, still we had to convince the court. The prosecution is one aspect and then the Magistrate still has to make a decision. She will not just grant bail because the prosecution does not object. So, we had to make submissions and we presented the usual things. The number one thing about bail is that you are either a fight risk or you are not. The first thing that I submitted it that a man who is charged on the facts which says that he's unaware that there was somebody in the van, he cannot be blamed for that, so you have no reason to run and go anywhere. On top of that, he was gainfully employed, and he spent 10 years as a community policing officer, so he worked in the same community and has never been charged, and never been convicted of any crime. You have no reason to run, so he's not a flight risk and that is the primary thing that the court has to consider. It's $10,000 himself and 2 sureties of $5,000 each."
Reporter
"Sir, can you say whether that was the same across the board for all 4 officers?"
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney-At-Law
"It was the same across the board for all 4 officers. The court was minded to grant bail that the defendants had to produce a house paper or hour lot, some documents relating to property. We made further submissions and the court considered those submissions and ended up giving them signed bail. They are to surrender their documents, they are not to apply for any other documents without the permission of the court, they are not to leave the country without permission and they are to sign in every Monday between 6am and 9am - all 4 - at the Corozal Police Station. It's really a sad situation, I know that the public want justice for the young man and I believe that justice should be granted or given, but the summary of fact on which these 4 defendants were charged, there's one statement or part of a statement that stays out in my mind that Peralta throw off the police vehicle to park it and this is what it says "unaware that there was someone inside". He is saying he didn't know someone was in there. He took a key from a fellow officer and drove the vehicle down to the police station, parked it and he was in the company of a more senior officer who was present at some point at the scene. I know that the summary of facts on which people are charged for crimes or offenses is normally what is gleaned from those who have been interviewed. So, I would want to think that that is the evidence that will come with a trial. I feel really pain for the family of the young man who died, I didn't even know I would be in this case. When I saw the flash news about his death, I feel really pain for the family. He was a promising young man and it touches me when young people innocently are deprived of their lives. I've said that before and I will repeat it every time. But at the end of the day, if you are going to prosecute, prosecute those who are guilty, don't drag innocent people and compound the problems. That is my position."
And after a much-awaited, much-spectated perp walk and a two-hour long arraignment, all four were released on bail. That's a bail of $10,000 bail plus two $5,000.00 sureties. All four officers are due back in court on September 30th for disclosure.
