Former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith says that police officers need to ensure they wear their body cams while doing their work.
He was at the time commenting on protest action reported to be in relation to a fatal police-involved shooting which occurred on November 28th that claimed the life of 33-year-old Brandon De Gale.
According to police at 4.30 am yesterday, members of the Eastern Division Gang and Intelligence Unit, along with officers from the Eastern Division Task Force, went to two homes located at North eastern Settlement, Sangre Grandeto execute a search warrants related to firearms and ammunition and seize electronic devices.
Police reports say upon reaching one of the addresses on the compound, a group of officers encountered a female in the living room.
The police then entered a bedroom, where they allegedly observed a male who allegedly brandished an object resembling a firearm and aimed it at one of the officers, they returned fire hitting De Gale.
The injured man was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he subsequently died.
Griffith told the hosts of the Power Breakfast Show this morning that the very purpose of the body cams is to ensure that officers are protected in the course of their duties.
He noted that the use of body cams would have provided relevant information on exactly what occurred in the shooting of Brandon De Gale.
However he noted that while he was Police Commissioner it was mandatory that officers turn on their cameras while carrying out their duties, now though it’s optional.