The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THE inquest into the 2017 police-involved shooting of Ronald Mackey began yesterday, with officers testifying that the 28-year-old fled the scene of an accident and was shot in the back of his head during a car chase.

The victim’s mother, Bethsheba Deveaux, said she identified the victim’s body two days after the shooting. She wept as photos of the body of her only child were shown in court.

Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest Deveaux presided as Sergeant Antoine Sweeting recalled the events that led to Mackey’s death on November 25, 2017.

Sgt Sweeting said he was responding to a traffic accident involving Mackey’s white Honda Accord and a grey vehicle around Fox Hill Road South and Joe Farrington Road.

When officers approached Mackey and asked him to turn off his vehicle, Sgt Sweeting said the deceased sped away from the scene when he saw police lights.

A high-speed chase between Mackey and the police followed. Sgt Sweeting said the defendant swerved and hit at least five cars in an attempt to evade capture.

After Mackey burst past the first police blockade, reportedly hitting speeds up to 80mph, his left front tyre blew out. The officer said Mackey continued to drive away from the police.

Sgt Sweeting said after the deceased rammed through a second police blockade near Bay Lily Drive, he heard a volley of shots that caused him to duck for cover. He said Mackey’s vehicle started decelerating before it hit a traffic light near Savannah Avenue and Golf Course Blvd.

After stopping his police cruiser approximately 50ft from the crash, Sgt Sweeting said he saw Mackey’s body slumped over the centre console. Mackey was pronounced dead later that night at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Under questioning from K Melvin Munroe, who represents Sgt Fox and Police Constable Dormeus, Sgt Sweeting said that he did not fire his weapon. He also said that none of the occupants of his cruiser fired or saw the shooting.

During cross-examination from Ryszard Humes, who represents the interests of the deceased’s estate, the officer said his vehicle sustained a crack to the upper windshield during the chase.

Mr Humes noted a discrepancy between Sgt Sweeting’s report and a photo of the police cruiser near the victim’s car. The report indicated that the cruiser was labelled 205, while the car in the photo was numbered 123.

The officer disagreed with the suggestion that it was not his police cruiser photographed at the scene.

He also disagreed with the suggestion that the deceased’s car couldn’t reach 60 to 80 mph speeds with a blown front tyre.

Detective Sergeant Paul Adderley testified that he arrived after the shooting around 10.30pm as a crime scene investigator.

He said he collected 24 9mm bullet casings near the police Taurus cruiser, and one fired bullet from inside the deceased’s car.

D/S Adderley said the vehicle suffered from gunshot damage. He said the front left side of the car had been smashed in and he observed bullet damage to the front windshield near the driver’s seat. The officer also saw suspected blood and grey matter spread across the passenger seat.

The officer told Mr Humes that no firearm was collected and no bullet casings were found in the car.

When asked if any police firearms were confiscated after the shooting, D/S Adderley said such a decision would depend on the investigating officer’s discretion.

Dr Caryn Sands, forensic pathologist at PMH, testified that Mackey’s cause of death was a headshot wound.

Her autopsy report indicated that the bullet entered the deceased’s head from the right back side before it fragmented in the brain’s left temporal lobe.

Dr Sands also noted that the deceased’s body had lacerations to the back of the neck, which she attributed to bullet fragmentation. She said Mackey’s right eye was also swollen.

Patrick Sweeting marshalled the evidence.