WILLEMSTAD - The two police officers from a Special Unit and a member of the VKC, who are suspects in a pursuit case resulting in a fatal outcome, are being charged with premeditated murder. This was revealed yesterday during the first pre-trial hearing. The three are also accused of shooting at the two other occupants of the car along with the victim, constituting attempted murder.
A fourth suspect, the 53-year-old team leader D.E., is accused of falsifying documents between October 4th and September 2021, by altering or forging evidence of the incident.
He is also accused of drafting a report for officer Y.B. on October 4th, 2021, in which he portrayed a false situation, indicating that the officers acted in self-defense, making the shooting appear justified.
The incident took place on September 27th, 2021, when three men committed an armed robbery at a Chinese establishment on Dr. Maalweg. They took money and other items before fleeing in a vehicle.
Shortly after the robbery, the police initiated a pursuit, during which shots were fired at the fleeing vehicle. The vehicle then crashed at the intersection near Hanenberg, resulting in the death of one of the occupants, Z. Nicasia.
During the investigation, questions arose about the consistency between the scenario at the accident scene and the police descriptions. The investigative team of the National Detective Agency determined that there was potential evidence manipulation, including the picking up of bullet casings by officers, which contradicts protocol.
Not the first time
This is not the first time that the Curaçao police have come under scrutiny for the use of firearm violence, but not all incidents are investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office. In 2018, a petty thief lost his life on Bramendiweg when he attempted to flee and was hit by three bullets in his back. He was also believed to be carrying a weapon, but that turned out not to be the case. The car he had stolen belonged to a police officer.