One man is now dead and a firearm seized following a police- involved shooting in Santa Cruz yesterday.
A police report issued this afternoon indicates that around 5.25 pm on December 1st, officers of the North- Eastern Division Task Force (NEDTF) were on patrol in the lower Santa Cruz district, when they received information that a known repeat firearm offender was armed with a firearm in a track off River Road, Bourg Mulatresse, Santa Cruz.
Officers proceeded to the area where they saw a man standing behind a half door to the front of a concrete structure.
The officers called out to him and the man began retreating inside of the structure.
Both officers hurriedly proceeded to the front door the officers where they saw the man standing in front of a bed with a black and chrome firearm lying on the bed on his right side.
The officers opened the door and went in, instructing the man to keep his hands in the air.
The suspect hesitated for a while and then allegedly grabbed hold of the firearm with his right hand.
The officers became fearful for their lives and in keeping with the TTPS Use of Force Policy, each discharged one round of ammunition from their
service weapons in the direction of the man who sustained injuries.
The firearm was seized.
Assistance was sought from other members of the NEDTF and a party of officers, led by Sgt Martin, arrived minutes later and conveyed the injured man to the Eric Williams Medical Complex, Mt Hope where he was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending doctor.
The man has been identified as Akiel Ayers.
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