The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A BISHOP testified yesterday that Ishido Saunders showed up to the Golden Gates Assembly Church in 2022 and demanded $3,000 from him to start a new life before police fatally shot him.

Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux presided as the inquest into how Saunders, 38, was killed by police outside 20 Antigua Street on April 28, 2022.

Bjorn Ferguson represents the two officers whose actions are the subject of the inquest: Corporal Dominique Bain and PC Calvino Jones.

Angelo Whitfield marshalled the evidence.

Bishop Trent Davis, who was a pastor at the time of the incident, testified that on the morning of Saunders’ death, he was upstairs in his church’s office when the deceased and his mother arrived.

He said Saunders was angry from the start and argued with his mother, who he believes was under duress.

He said he knew the deceased was an ex-con and described him as “a very angry young man”. Despite this, he assisted him in getting work and said he knew his family before they left his church when Saunders was a young boy.

Bishop Davis said when he went downstairs to try and de-escalate the situation, he saw how angry Saunders was, adding he had never seen him that upset.

He said Saunders threatened him with a chain and demanded he be given $3,000 to start a new life, failing which no one would be allowed to leave the building.

Bishop Davis, fearing for his father’s life, said he lied to the deceased and told him that he was going upstairs to get the money. Instead, he barricaded himself, his father and his staff in the office.

He told the court he had no idea what the deceased was talking about and no prior arrangement with Saunders.

After hearing that the deceased had locked the front door, Pastor Davis said he once again tried calming him down through the glass window, telling him that the church didn’t have any money and that they were all friends.

When he concluded he couldn’t de-escalate things, he said he let his staff call the police, telling Saunders to leave as the police were on their way.

He said the deceased soon left the building through a side exit. This was the last time Bishop Davis saw him alive. He said he became distraught after learning Saunders had died and that it was the first time his staff had seen him become emotional.

He said he did not see the police arrive.

During cross-examination from Mr Ferguson, Bishop Davis said he was in fear for his life during the incident. He also said that he knew by the look in Saunders’ eyes that he was either leaving the country or leaving this world.

When questioned by Ruth Cox, the deceased’s mother, on whether he had spoken with her that day, she said yes, but couldn’t recall what they discussed.

She asked the pastor why he believed she was there by force. Bishop Davis responded that he concluded this because of the way the deceased spoke to her, which he thought was uncommon between mother and son.

Bishop Davis admitted that he gave Saunders money the day before his death. He denied inviting Saunders back for more money.

Facing the pastor, Mrs Cox said there were a lot of anomalies to his story. However, she said she does not hold him responsible for what happened to her son.

Dr Caryn Sands, forensic pathologist at PMH, testified that Saunders’ cause of death was gunshot wounds to the head, right arm and left leg.

She said the deceased suffered bullet wounds to the top of the head and cheek, as well as to his right arm and left leg.

She said there was evidence of close-range shot to Saunders’ head. A bullet was also recovered from the defendant’s leg and he had an abrasion on his right shoulder.