The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

AZARIO Major’s father claimed yesterday that retrieved data initially located his son’s unrecovered phone at Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail Road, where he was killed, but that the device was last pinned on Andros Avenue, where it was mysteriously deactivated.

He said his family retrieved data from Azario’s phone after obtaining a death certificate for him. 

Mr Major’s testimony came as the closely-watched Coroner’s Court inquest into Azario Major’s December 26, 2021, police-involved killing began.

Tension filled the courtroom. Azario’s mother silently cried as a five-person jury took their oath, and the man’s parents left the courtroom when photos of him were displayed.

Attorney Calvin Maynard represents the four officers in the case. David Cash represents Azario’s estate.

Mr Major testified that Azario was texting his mother until around 8pm on the night he was killed.

He said police told him his son was involved in a police-involved incident around 11pm that night, but the family only found out Azario was killed the next day.

He said initially officers refused to let him see his son’s body. He was ultimately shocked by how his son’s face looked.

“We went to the morgue to identify him and they showed us pictures and we were really distraught because his face was really, really twist up,” he said.

He said the family cremated the 31-year-old’s body because his head was so damaged.

Under questioning, Mr Major said his son was bisexual. He said he disagreed with his son’s sex life. He said his son once had a relationship with a male defence force officer.

Mr Major said his son did not have a criminal record and was never diagnosed with mental issues. However, he said his son smoked weed. He said: “(The substance) did not agree with him.”

Mr Major said his family bought the car in which Azario was killed, a white Hyundai Elantra, from Virgo Rentals.

“We expected the vehicle to be shot up totally riddled with bullets all over. But we found out the bullets just penetrated the door at an angle so we thought it suspicious and we bought the vehicle,” he said.

Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux allowed Mr Major to enter his photos of the vehicle into evidence.

Detective Rudolph Sweeting, a crime scene investigator, testified that on January 4, 2022, he visited the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital and took photos of Azario’s body.

The officer said Azario had gunshot wounds to his head, face, chest, stomach, back, sides, arms, and left leg. He added that five bullets and multiple bullet fragments were recovered from Azario’s body.