Investigation into homicide #7 and death threats against PM and police

by Linda Straker

• Homicide occurred in a St George village overnight
• Video threatening life of Prime Minister and officers of RGPF circulated on social media
• Under Grenada’s Sedition Act, penalty is 2 years imprisonment and $5,000 fine

Police are denying involvement in Grenada’s 7th homicide for 2020.

Grenada is presently in a 24-hour mandatory curfew as part of measures to reduce the community transmission of Covid-19. However, citizens woke up to the news of a homicide with what some said showed signs of a gunshot wound, in a village in the parish of St George.

Fingers began pointing at the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) on various social media platforms, but Superintendent Vannie Curwen, who is currently in charge of the Community Relations Department, said that no member of the police force is involved with the incident and that several persons are currently detained. “I can confirm that we are currently investigating a murder and I want to be categorically clear here, I want to say to the Grenadian public, there is no police involvement in this shooting,” he said in a virtual police briefing with members of the media.

“We are currently investigating a possible murder committed with a gun. We have started our investigations vigorously. We do have a number of persons in custody assisting us with our investigation,” he said without providing information on the deceased.

Curwen said that there are certain procedures that must be followed before officially making a public pronouncement about a deceased person. However, via social media, family members of the deceased identified him as Kimron Charles, who had spent time in prison.

Shortly, after news broke of the homicide, someone wearing a face mask posted a video on social media threatening the life of the Prime Minister and officers of the RGPF.

Claiming that “real police go dead” or “feel the pain” if justice is given for the death, the person in the video warned the Prime Minister to take action because he lives by the sea and is in the front line.

Speaking about threats to the police and the Prime Minister who is also the Minister for National Security, Curwen said the police is vigorously using all available means to track the person who is in the video. “We are vigorously pursuing this individual. We have had a number of leads. We think we probably know who it is, and we will leave no stone unturned to find whoever is responsible.”

Under Grenada’s Sedition Act, a person can be charged with sedition if that person engages in behaviour that is a breach of public order or in disturbance of the peace by publishing seditious words. Once convicted, the penalty is imprisonment for 2 years and to a fine of $5,000.