Christopher Samaroo, the father of Joshua Samaroo, was arrested last night after he had earlier voluntarily visited police stations to clarify comments attributed to him on social media which his attorney said were “twisted” out of context.
Attorney Aaron Lewis, who represents Samaroo, spoke with the Express last night, minutes after his client was held.
He described the arrest as “unfortunate” and said Samaroo was detained under Regulation 11 of the Emergency Powers Regulations.
This Regulation (Legal Notice No 40) prohibits any person from endeavouring to influence public opinion in a manner likely to be prejudicial to public safety, or from possessing any article or doing an act to facilitate such an endeavour.
Lewis said Samaroo first went to the Central Police Station (CPS) in Port of Spain at approximately 5.30 p.m.
Accompanied by his attorney, he spent about 40 minutes speaking with police officers regarding statements circulating on social media.
According to Lewis, Samaroo sought to address concerns arising from the comments and to prevent any potential fallout.
Some of his comments circulating online, which his attorney said were taken out of context, involved the justice system and police.
“The officers at Central Police Station indicated that they had no information concerning Mr Samaroo and that no reports had been made in relation to the comments,” Lewis said.
After leaving the station, Samaroo and his attorney were told by relatives that officers from a police unit had visited the family’s home in Maraval.
Lewis said they then went to the Maraval Police Station, where officers indicated they had no information regarding Samaroo or any police visit to his residence.
Lewis said they then proceeded to the St Clair Police Station.
“While there, officers attached to the CID (Criminal Investigations Department) approached Mr Samaroo and informed both of us that he was the subject of an investigation,” Lewis said.
He said Samaroo was cautioned and subsequently detained pursuant to Regulation 11 of the Emergency Powers Regulations.
Lewis maintained that his client’s comments had been taken out of context.
“It is very unfortunate. His words were twisted in the manner in which they were presented,” the attorney said. “He made a report concerning what he actually said, and what was circulated was cut short and does not reflect the entirety of his statement.”
Lewis said the arrest had compounded the emotional distress Samaroo was already experiencing following the death of his son.
“To be cautioned and arrested for something like that, taking into consideration what he is going through with the loss of his son, is traumatic,” he said.
Lewis said Samaroo appeared surprised by the development, although he suggested his client may have anticipated the possibility of police action.
“From how he responded, it was almost as though he was expecting that they would try (to arrest him),” Lewis said. “But being cautioned and placed in police custody, is an entirely different matter, especially during a state of emergency. It is a serious matter.”
Up to last night, police had not publicly disclosed the specific nature of the investigation or any allegations against Samaroo.
Speaking earlier before he was cautioned by police, Samaroo insisted that comments attributed to him on social media did not accurately reflect what he had said during a recent radio interview.
He said portions of his remarks had been omitted.
“That is not totally what I said. They caught me halfway through. The whole thing was missing parts,” he said.
During the interview, Samaroo had been discussing the circumstances surrounding his son’s death and expressing his grief over the loss.
He said the version of the comments circulated online failed to capture the full context of what he said.
Lewis later echoed those concerns, stating that the clips shared on social media were incomplete and did not accurately represent the entirety of his client’s remarks.
DAD ARRESTED: Joshua Samaroo
Radio interview
On Father’s Day, Samaroo spoke on an i95.5FM radio programme about the emotional toll of losing his son who was shot and killed during a police-involved incident earlier this year.
He reflected on his son’s death and the difficulties of navigating life since then.
The discussion also featured Ronald “Crab” Cabrera, whose daughter, 12-year-old Mercedez Layne, was murdered.
While discussing his son’s death, Samaroo voiced frustration over the circumstances surrounding the shooting and expressed limited confidence in the outcome of legal proceedings.
During the emotional exchange, he made comments directed at police officers that were later widely circulated on social media.
A programme host intervened shortly after the remarks were made. The clip that subsequently circulated online captured only a portion of the conversation.
Joshua Samaroo was killed on January 20 after a confrontation with law enforcement in St Augustine.
His common-law wife Kaia Sealy is facing several charges stemming from Samaroo’s death, including manslaughter as well as three charges of shooting with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and other related offences.
