Ombudsman to investigate Yabra drowning

One month after a man drowned in the sea off the Yarborough area, an investigation is being launched into his death. Refusing to back down from his insistence on transparency, today Ombudsman Paul Rodriguez announced that he has begun to look into the death of 24 year old Kelvin “Brambles” Barrow. On February 24th, Barrow took to the sea in an effort to elude police, but police refused to give up the chase and both Barrow and an officer were in the water for about an hour. But then Barrow disappeared under the waves and his body was found two days later. Family members allege that the father of Barrow’s girlfriend, a Police Officer, had repeatedly threatened to kill Barrow. Eyewitnesses say the Police Officer, off duty at the time of the incident, slapped Barrow with a machete and then chased him out of the house, then followed him into the sea. However, the Police Department has maintained that it was another officer, who pursued Barrow in the water. In addition, the police say the autopsy revealed no sign of foul play on Barrow’s body, disputing claims that Barrow’s chest was bloody as he ran away from the officer and that Barrow had been injured by the officer in the water. In a letter to Commissioner of Police Hughinton Williams, Ombudsman Rodriguez said that even though it will not be a criminal investigation, if his findings conclude there was breach of duty, misconduct or criminal offense on the part of an officer, the matter would then be handed over to authorities, who would be able to take disciplinary measures against those persons. The Police Department says they have nothing to hide and will cooperate fully with Rodriguez’s investigation.