Dead man’s family told to fight on for justice

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A repeat visitor to Antigua and Barbuda and a former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has joined the family of deceased Shawn Sylvester Warner in chastising the way local police have handled the investigation of Warner’s controversial death.

The 26 year old died on November 6, 2018 from what family members insist was electrocution when he came into contact with an allegedly energized electrical installation at Jolly Harbour where his mother operated a vending business.

However the management of Jolly Harbour, Caribbean Development Antigua Limited or C-DAL, has vigorously denied that the lamp post with which the deceased allegedly came into contact before falling to ground was energized.

Shawn Warner was at the time accompanied by his mother, Sandra Warner, and his two infant sons, who reportedly witnessed the incident, possibly among others. Randall Goodwin, who has given over 10 years’ service to the RCMP and is now a licensed private investigator, weighed in on the issue over the weekend.

He said details of the terrible tragedy and how the police have handled it are gravely unacceptable. The Canadian native also claimed there has been a major miscarriage of justice surrounding Warner’s death and he is encouraging the family to do whatever they have to in order to get justice. His comments were posted on social media and eventually sent via email to OBSERVER.

Goodwin said that, from a tourist’s point of view, the tragedy has left a very negative and dark thought of not wanting to return to Antigua, adding that fellow cruisers are of the same mindset, and all the injustice certainly compounds the actual death of Shawn Warner.

”This police department, the commissioner and the government officials need to react, and react in the way they should have when this terrible incident happened,” “Nothing that anyone can do will bring Shawn Warner back. To the contrary, this matter now needs to be made right [so that this does not happen] to anyone else, God forbid,” Goodwin said.

The former law enforcement officer said he last visited Antigua in October 2018 and again in December via cruise ship, and both times he visited Jolly Harbour where the incident took place. He said he has also met with the family of the deceased and his heart goes out to them.

Warner was allegedly electrocuted when he reportedly came into contact with an exposed electrical wire on a pole that was repaired prior to the incident. A week ago, his sister Natasha James, took to social media to demand justice for her brother and lament the lack of information from the police.

She also claimed that the doctor who conducted an autopsy on her brother’s body revealed to the family that she saw an enlarged heart that could have been caused by the alleged electrocution. However, without a report from the police, the post-mortem was inconclusive.

The police handed over the body to the family last week and the government has since indicated that they will foot the bill for another autopsy

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