Police officer weeps during footage displayed at inquiry

In a recent Coroner’s Court inquest, a police officer named Shaniqua Nicholas tearfully recounted the night when her colleague, Constable Anderson, fatally shot 18-year-old Kwondrick Lowe near Kemp Road. The officers had been patrolling a bar known for gang activity when they spotted Lowe and pursued him after he ran away. Nicholas identified Lowe and warned the other officers of a gun in his possession before Anderson opened fire, shooting Lowe five times at close range.

Nicholas expressed her fear for her life and the lives of her colleagues, as well as her concern for her child as a single mother. She became emotional when surveillance footage of the shooting was played in court. She explained that police officers are trained to eliminate threats when faced with an armed suspect and to aim for vital areas. Despite being questioned about why she did not fire on Lowe herself, Nicholas explained that she was concerned about hitting Anderson by mistake.

During cross-examination by the attorney representing Lowe’s estate, Nicholas defended her actions and maintained that she saw Lowe reaching for a gun before the shooting took place. The attorney pointed out the difficulty of seeing Lowe’s actions given the angle and positioning of the vans, but Nicholas insisted that she could see everything clearly. Another witness, Sergeant Patrice Rolle, testified that Lowe did not have a license for the firearm found at the scene, although the gun’s serial number had been removed.

The attorney representing Anderson raised doubts about the gun recovered at the scene, questioning whether it was a police-issued weapon due to the defaced serial number. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the gun’s origin, Nicholas stood by her assertion that Lowe had a weapon in his possession during the altercation. The proceedings were overseen by Angelo Whitfield, who managed the presentation of evidence and testimonies throughout the court session.

The emotional testimony provided by Nicholas shed light on the intense and potentially dangerous situations that police officers face in their line of duty. Her account of the events leading up to Lowe’s death highlighted the split-second decisions officers must make when confronting armed individuals. The inquest into Lowe’s killing prompted a deeper examination of the circumstances surrounding the shooting and raised questions about the weapon recovered at the scene. As the legal proceedings continued, the search for clarity and accountability in the tragic incident remained ongoing.