WILLEMSTAD – The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has requested community service sentences and temporary bans from public service for two police officers and a member of the Volunteer Corps Curaçao (VKC) in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Z. Nicasia in September 2021.
During appeal proceedings, prosecutors asked the court to impose community service sentences of 180 hours, half of which would be suspended, along with a two-year suspension from government service with a one-year probation period.
The case stems from a police operation in September 2021 that ended with the death of the teenager, sparking public debate about the use of force by law enforcement and police training standards.
In addition to the penalties sought against the officers involved in the shooting, the OM also demanded a suspended prison sentence of two months and a three-year ban from holding public office for a former police unit leader.
According to prosecutors, the former supervisor deliberately falsified an official reporting form following the incident, a charge that the OM considers particularly serious because it allegedly undermined the integrity of the investigation into the shooting.
The appeal case is scheduled to continue next Thursday, but recent court hearings have expanded beyond the events of the shooting itself and have focused on broader concerns regarding firearms training within the Curaçao Police Force.
The Court requested additional clarification after senior police officials made striking statements about weapons qualifications and operational readiness within the force.
Police Chief Raymond Ellis acknowledged that officers are officially required to demonstrate firearms proficiency every six months in order to remain authorized to carry a service weapon.
However, he told the court that severe staffing shortages have made it difficult to comply with those requirements.
According to the police chief, strict enforcement of the regulations would result in nearly the entire police force being disarmed because many officers have not been able to complete the required qualifications on schedule.
The court also heard testimony from another police commander, who stated that the force has been unable to conduct some essential firearms training because it lacks its own dedicated shooting range.
The official further explained that regular police officers are not trained to fire at fleeing vehicles, an issue that has become particularly relevant in the appeal proceedings because of the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.
The statements have raised broader questions about training standards, operational preparedness, and whether officers are receiving the instruction required for situations involving high-risk pursuits and the use of deadly force.
The case remains one of the most closely watched police accountability proceedings in recent years and has renewed scrutiny of both police procedures and oversight within the law enforcement system.
The Court is expected to hear further arguments when the appeal resumes next week before eventually deciding whether to uphold, modify, or overturn the earlier judgments in the case.