Sint Maarten: three police officers to face trial
Three police officers involved in the fatal shooting in St Peters on 13 February have been summoned to appear before the Court of First Instance in Sint Maarten.
On the evening of 13 February, the Sint Maarten Police (KPSM) had received several reports of a man walking along St Peters Road carrying a firearm. Upon arriving at the scene at around 9 pm, they did indeed encounter an armed man. During the operation, they opened fire and hit the man, who died at the scene.
The Landsrecherche (the police oversight body in the Dutch part of the island) launched an investigation to determine whether the use of force by the three police officers was justified and under what circumstances they had used their weapons.
The case was subsequently referred to the Curaçao Public Prosecutor’s Office. After reviewing the case file, the Public Prosecutor’s Office decided to bring the three police officers before the court on 13 November. The judges will have to examine the circumstances of the shooting and the evidence gathered.
