By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE mother of 15-year-old Gino Evante Finley Jr wept as she recounted the day police shot and killed her son while he was fleeing a robbery scene on Prince Charles Drive in 2017.
An officer also alleged yesterday that the deceased tried to reach for another officer’s weapon before he was shot.
Dennis Sturrup and Denzil Deveaux, both corporals, are the subjects of this inquest. Neither was present during yesterday’s proceedings.
Lynette “Tasha” Brown, the deceased’s mother, testified that on May 23, 2017, her son was staying at his paternal grandmother’s house in Elizabeth Estates.
Mrs Brown recalled that while working as a beautician, she got a voicenote describing a shooting at Seagrapes Shopping Plaza and overheard a client say it “was just a baby” who was shot.
Mrs Brown said she froze when she saw a photo of the slain youth, fearing it was her son. She said she immediately called Mr Finley Sr, and told him “to get her child”.
She said throughout the day, people from the neighborhood came to her work, asking her if the rumors were true.
She said she and her husband went to identify her son’s body the next day.
She howled and cried as a photo of her son’s body at the morgue was shown yesterday.
She claimed she was informed through the press that her son was involved in a robbery at QVS pharmacy in the Seagrapes Plaza and that police shot him as he ran away.
She further claimed that police never informed her of what happened to her son, only contacting her to identify the body.
Mrs Brown said that a Seagrapes Plaza Wendy’s employee told her workers were going outside to throw away garbage when they saw the deceased on his knees in the service area near water tanks. She claimed this witness saw her son try to take off his RM Bailey Sr High School shirt before police shot him from behind. She also said she found out her son was shot about three times.
She described her son as 5ft 7in, slim and about 140lb. She said he was bright and antisocial. She also admitted that Finley Jr was suspended from school at the time of his death.
K Kelvin Munroe, the officers’ lawyer, made Mrs Brown read a police statement she had signed, in which she said her son had kept bad company.
She admitted her signature was on the document but denied making that statement.
However, she acknowledged that she was distraught and not in the right state of mind when she reportedly signed the document at the morgue.
Chief Superintendent of Police Tyrell Cox testified that he went to the Seagrapes Plaza in the aftermath of the shooting to investigate.
Supt Cox said he observed spent casings and a firearm, reportedly belonging to the deceased, in the parking lot of the plaza.
The officer further said he saw visibly distraught QVS patrons. He also said that a black school bag was found near the cashier and black zip ties allegedly used to subdue pharmacy staff and patrons.
Supt Cox read Corporal Sturrup’s report of the incident into the record. Cpl Sturrup and Cpl Deveaux said as they approached the pharmacy in a police car, they saw two male armed suspects exit the premises and the men ran after spotting them.
The two officers said they pursued the suspects in their vehicle before exiting the car. They said the suspects opened fire on them while running away, causing them to return fire.
Cpl Sturrup claimed to see the deceased drop a weapon during the chase as he went towards the Wendy’s service area. As he approached the deceased, he ordered him to stop. He claimed in his report that Finley Jr attempted to reach for his weapon causing him to open fire.
Supt Cox later learned that a suspect was charged with armed robbery in connection with this incident.
When questioned by the jury, Supt Cox could not say if the deceased fired at officers.
Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest Deveaux is presiding over the case.
David Cash represented the deceased’s estate.
Angelo Whitfield marshalled the evidence.
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