|
|
|
 |
|
|
Widow of Gendarme horrified by hostility
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Feb 16, 2006 19:31 UTC
|
MARIGOT - The grieving widow of Gendarme Raphaël Clin, who was killed by a speeding motorbike on Sunday, said she had witnessed persons in the crowd at the hospital “jumping for joy” at the news her husband had died and earlier Clin’s colleague at the accident scene had seen around forty persons gathered around the body, some of them shouting abuse and “willing him to die” in crude slang.
Deputy Station Commander Jean-Luc Chombart, Clin’s colleague on patrol that morning, refuted witness statements in Monday’s Daily Herald report that there was no racing going on and that the Gendarme had drawn his handgun.
“We stopped our vehicle when we noticed there was racing going on and a crowd had gathered. It was our duty to stop this activity,” said Chombart. “I was afraid of another accident happening, but nobody assisted me in controlling the traffic. I called for the ambulance and for backup. I heard one person say to the body on the ground, ‘f*****g Gendarme, die.’”
Chombart said he was convinced Clin had acted within the confines of his professional training and with complete integrity. He said he had seen the motorbike approaching very rapidly, but not the crash itself. Circumstances leading up to the accident are still not clear. The Gendarmerie is appealing for reliable witnesses to come forward and for video footage to be handed in.
According to Chombart, people gathered at the Gendarmerie compound in Marigot two or three times on Monday, shaking the gates and tormenting Gendarmes and their families.
“We have no hate for the population. Many of us are married to women from the islands, so we don’t care about colour of skin,” he said. “But there are some people here fuelling hatred for the Gendarmes. They have no respect for the law and they don’t understand that they need the Gendarmerie for their safety and security.”
Mme. Clin said she was unable to cope with the loss of her husband. He had worked on the island for two years. He spoke four languages, including Creole, and had integrated well with the locals. He was described by colleagues as one of the best and most professional Gendarmes in the station and a perfect family man.
Persons who have information about the accident can contact Jean-Luc Chombart, tel. (0590) 52.21.90.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Content © The Daily Herald 2006 - All Rights Reserved.
You may bookmark this web page, print it or e-mail it to
a friend in accordance with the fair-use provisions of
copyright laws. The material is intended solely for the use
of the individual user.
Archiving, redistribution, or republication of this
material
on other terms, in any medium, requires the express
written permission of the author or publication and the
notification of the editors of Caribseek News. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
