Trinidad police officer resigns after finding mother dead, blames authorities of inaction

Trinidad and Tobago: A police officer in Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has left the force after he found his mother’s body hanging from a tree at Clifton Hill Beach in Point Fortin. He said the police service ignored his calls for help while focusing on collecting his uniform after his resignation.

The officer, Russel Bedasse from Coromandel Village, said his 57-year old mother Sheilawatte Lorna Bedasse, did not take her own life. He believes she was murdered and her body was staged to look like suicide.

Sheilawatie went missing on Tuesday, September 23, after she left work early saying she wasn’t feeling well. The following day, Wednesday, September 24, her body was found on Seaview Crescent by the beach. Bedasse said he begged his fellow officers for support in searching for his mother but received little help. He was also frustrated that no order was given for a forensic autopsy.

In an emotional video, he shared the reason for resigning from his post and handing over his badge and ID. “I made a decision yesterday and I handed over my badge and ID. I told them in the station, book me in as a police and book me out leaving as a civilian. I don’t want no part of this entity again,” he said.

He further shared that the police response was quick to collect his belongings after his resignation but when it came to his mother’s missing person report, they were slow to react. “Lo and behold, this morning, the police reached here to retrieve my uniform. They couldn’t come or go to look for my mother, but they could get instructions to come for my uniform,” Bedasse added.

Bedasse believes that the decision to retrieve his uniform was made by senior officers. However, he said that no one from the leadership reached out to check on his well being after the loss. He is determined to find justice for his mother, even without the help of the police force.