The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

AN inquest into the 2014 police shooting death of Andrew Stubbs, 40, began with testimony from two witnesses yesterday in the court of Coroner Jeanine Weech Gomez.

The man who shot Stubbs, Officer Kevin Deveaux, was represented by K Melvin Munroe. No lawyer was present in the matter to represent the deceased or his family. Anishka Missick is marshalling the case.

Rovan Damian Carey, a police officer, was the first witness to testify. In his police report, Mr Carey said he was at Ira Storrs Backyard Restaurant, his family eatery in Golden Gates, when he saw a man wearing a grey sweater with a hood smoking a joint. He said when he told the man smoking was not allowed in the establishment, the man became disorderly and was escorted outside where he became even more unruly.

He claimed the man left the area heading east on Sisal Road while saying he disliked the police.

Officer Carey said after the incident, he and several other officers stood around outside conversing when, 20 minutes later, someone in the group shouted “watch out.”

He said he then saw a man with an object that appeared to be a gun. He said Officer Deveaux then shouted “police” and demanded the suspect drop the object. He testified that he heard about five or six gunshots. However, when asked by the foreman to say if the shots came from anyone “in his circle,” he said he “couldn’t answer that at this time.”

The second witness, George Beneby, testified that from his house he saw a man who was gesticulating as if he was in an argument. He said the man eventually left the area. He testified that about 20 minutes later he heard gunshots, then saw the man’s dead body in his car driveway.

Mr Beneby said he was in bed when his brother alerted him to an argument outside.

When he looked through his window, he “saw a short guy gesticulating.” The man left the area but 20 minutes later Mr Beneby said he heard about five or six gunshots.

“I looked out and saw a short person wearing the same clothes as the gesticulating man,” he said. “I went outside and I saw the gentleman in a pool of blood and a with a gray and black handgun on the side of him. I called the police and told them what I saw.”

Mr Beneby said when a police officer pulled back the man’s hoodie, he recognised the man as Andrew Stubbs, a man in the neighbourhood he knew for years.

The matter continues on Monday.