By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE officer who investigated Deangelo Evans’ police-involved killing in 2018 defended the quality of his work yesterday under tough cross-examination from the lawyer representing Evans’ estate.
Romona Farquharson-Seymour cross-examined Assistant Superintendent Anthony McCartney after he testified in the Coroner’s Court as the inquest into Evans’ death continued.
ASP McCartney said he visited Sandy Lane in Masons Addition shortly after 10.30am on May 27, 2018.
He said when he spoke with the two officers involved in the shooting, Corporal Wright and Inspector Wilson, they claimed they engaged a suspect in an armed robbery and fired after seeing a firearm. He said both men said they discharged their weapons.
ASP McCartney said he observed spent cartridge cases and police holding back a crowd of 30 people. Evans’ body was already gone when he arrived at the scene. He later went to Princess Margaret Hospital and spoke to officers and doctors at the morgue.
He also said he later spoke to Sergeant Trevor McKinney, the officer who collected the firearm recovered near Evans’ hand. He said he received reports from the two officers involved in the shooting the next day.
ASP McCartney said he never handled the firearms involved in the shooting because the officers were afraid and concerned for their safety. He confirmed that he never took or assessed their guns, even after the threat subsided. He said police protocol did not require that he take their weapons.
Although he said he made inquiries concerning the armed robbery that preceded Evans’ death, he could not remember with whom he discussed the matter. He could not describe what the suspects in the armed robbery matter or Evans wore. He said he never visited the armed robbery site.
He said he never interviewed civilian witnesses at the scene.
Under cross-examination from Mrs Farquharson, he said he couldn’t recall what the two officers said about how they shot the deceased.
When he agreed such details would be important to the investigation, Mrs Farquharson-Seymour said his report indicated he did not speak to the two officers the day of the shooting.
“ASP McCartney, you don’t even have in your report that you spoke with them,” she said. “Nothing is in your report that you ever spoke to either of these officers at the scene at all. ASP McCartney, you are the investigating officer.”
In response, ASP McCartney said his actions were not uncommon. He said officers involved in shootings cover such details in their reports. He also said it is protocol for such officers to compose themselves and speak with a chaplain before making reports about traumatic shootings.
He disagreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that such protocol and his investigation were improper.
He said officers could not find security cameras near where the incident occurred, and the officers were not wearing body cameras.
Asked why he never spoke to the victim’s family, he said arrangements were made, but he could not follow through.
“Obviously the family was feeling some type of way and we never connected,” he said.
He said although he knew that Evans’ cousin, Edmund Lee, was at the scene, he never interviewed him.
He also said he never visited Evans’ house to investigate claims that Evans went to a store at his great grand aunt’s request.
Asked if confirming the deceased’s movements before their death was important, he said he didn’t learn details of Evans’ movements until later after being reassigned. He said he was unsure if anyone continued his investigation.
Yesterday, the court also attended a staging of the shooting of the incident.
Afterwards, SGT Nathan Dorsett, who stored the weapon collected at the scene in an exhibit control unit, testified in court.
He presented the weapon officers claimed Evans had a Springfield Armoury Auto loaded 40mm pistol with the serial number XD303165.
The jury also saw the bullets and bullet casings collected from the scene.
After confirming the gun was in police custody since the shooting five years ago, Sgt Dorsett said DNA testing was performed on the weapon.
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