Compol Maintains Police Innocence in Daniel Cal’s Death

On Monday, we told you about twenty-six-year-old Daniel Cal, who died late last week after being released from police custody. Cal had been arrested a few days before for handling stolen goods and would later be discovered in his cell with clear signs of injuries. A postmortem examination revealed that Cal had died from an inflammation of the lungs and chronic alcoholism. Cal’s family, however, are still not satisfied with his treatment while in police custody and intend to take the matter to court. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams maintains that police provided adequate care to Cal while in detention and that the timing of his death was circumstantial. He told us today that he is prepared to take the matter before the court if the family chooses.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“On one occasion, prior to the second occasion when he went and subsequently died. So it shows that the police were responsive to his needs and the family members also came and told the police that he was on some medication. medication. And they were allowed to bring those medications for him. And he was taken to the hospital. Again, with a view to make sure that he was cared for. While in the police care. So, we can rule that out now. That the police had nothing to do with his death. The family members might still have their own views. And I respect that they have lost someone. I think that almost anybody in their position would. want to have their own views, so I’m not going to say nothing to condemn them, but rather to see how we can work together with them so that they can really and truly come to understanding and realization that  the death of their loved one had nothing to do with the police.”

 

Reporter

“They do have an attorney, however, and I believe they’re planning to take this matter to court. Are you prepared for that, considering that while the police may not have assaulted him or touched him in any kind of way,  He was in their care. And while they had facilitated the trip to the first trip to the hospital, the family says that they were not informed of any of this. The stitches and everything that happened to him was a surprise to them and the state in which they found him on the floor that also shocked them, left them with this very traumatic image in their head.”

Chester Williams

“Well, the families do have that entitlement. I can’t take that away from them. I can’t speak ill of them for doing that. If they believe that their loved one was treated in some inhumane manner, or that the police had something to do with the death of their loved ones, then they have all right to take the matter before the courts. And our duty then is to defend it.  And I believe that we have substantial proof,  even medical proof that the police did not cause his death. So it’s a matter for the court to decide when that time comes.”