And what about PC Augustine's personal weapon? on the stand he explained that it was a gift from the former owner of Singing Sands resort in Placencia.
It's a problematic source for the gun that an officer would have carried to this particular crime scene because Laddie Gillett was ultimately killed on property owned by another expat.
Yesterday morning when we caught up with Commissioner Williams we asked him whether wealthy landowners in Placencia are arming the police and in so doing, instrumentalizing them, and what if anything he plans to do about it.
Reporter
"What I want to ask about is the fact that he said this weapon was a gift from an expat property owner. if it is that these expats in Placencia are arming these officers so that when they call them, they come quickly and they somehow do their bidding?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"I don't know that that is the case but we have over 2000 police officers and we don't have weapons to give every police officer who goes on duty, and so when police officers do have a gun license, uhm we have no problem with them taking their licenced firearm to work as a part of their security, however, when the weapon is used in the execution of their duty we treat the weapon as if it is a department's weapon. It must go through the process as we would do with any other person who used that gun in committing a crime or to defend themselves and so where that is concerned it is not that much of an issue. In terms of the police officer giving that officer a weapon oftentimes people do change weapons and the one that they may not, that they are changing, they may hand that over to a friend or a relative or some even give it back to the department and we don't have any issue with that so long as they go through the proper process."
Cherisse Halsall:
"It is interesting though, Sir, that these men are arming the department. I would think that you would have questions about that."
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"It's not a matter of arming the department if someone comes for example. If you have a father or a brother who has a weapon and doesn't want it anymore or wants to change it and they give you a, they hand it over to you, and you get a license for it. I don't see anything wrong with it."
Cherisse Halsall:
"I understand that, but these men have specific interests around guarding their properties, um, where if you've lived in Placencia you know that they create something of a kingdom of their own within our country. For that reason, it is concerning that they are arming the police?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"I wouldn't see it that way, unfortunately, I don't have the ability to read minds and so I would not know what the reason behind it is but from my standpoint looking at it I don't see an issue with it, no."
An investigation into PC Augustine was requested by Justice Antoinette Moore prior to the closing of proceedings against Kareem Martinez.
