Man Shot Dead By Police In St. Augustine After High-Speed Chase, Woman Wounded

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UPDATE (27/01/26): In an audio statement issued to the media late Monday night (26th January, 2026), Commissioner of Police, Allister Guevarro, has rejected calls to suspend the Officers involved in the fatal Police shooting of 31-year-old Joshua Samaroo, instead ordering they receive counseling. His latest statement has led to widespread public outrage and condemnation as investigations continue into the controversial incident.

Listen to his audio statement below:

Critics have rejected Commissioner Guevarro’s assertion that counseling should be prioritized for the Officers involved, saying instead that the focus should be on accountability, transparency, and justice for the victims.

Guevarro claimed the shooting occurred during routine Police operations and was not connected to the use of State of Emergency powers. He also suggested that the viral CCTV footage does not present the full context of the incident, noting that while the video runs just over five (5) minutes, it captures only about fifteen (15) seconds of gunfire, which Police say followed a broader chain of events.

The Police Commissioner said he considered releasing additional video and audio recordings in the interest of transparency but was advised against doing so, citing concerns that it could compromise ongoing investigations.

A First Division Officer has been appointed to lead the internal investigation, while parallel probes are being conducted by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB). The Commissioner stated that any misconduct uncovered would be met with “decisive and appropriate action.”

The incident has further eroded public confidence in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).

UPDATE (24/01/26): CCTV footage has emerged, showing the harrowing moments leading to the Police-involved shooting death of 31-year-old Joshua Samaroo and the critical wounding of his common-law wife, 24-year-old Kaia Sealy, who is now said to be paralyzed as multiple bullets entered her back.

The video shows Police pursuing their vehicle along Bassie Street Extension and Dookiesingh Street. The car then swerved around a corner and crashed over a drain. Officers, exiting a marked Toyota Rav4 SUV, opened fire on the vehicle. 

Samaroo, the driver, is seen raising his hands through the window in surrender. However, both Samaroo and Sealy were struck by Police gunfire.

Investigations are continuing into this incident by the relevant authorities.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Initial reports indicated two (2) men were shot. However, subsequent reports confirmed a man and a woman were wounded. The headline and body of this article have been updated with new details. 

A man is dead and a woman wounded as a result of a Police-involved shooting incident in St. Augustine this afternoon (Tuesday 20th January, 2026), following a high-speed chase from Maloney. 

The deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Joshua Samaroo, who worked as a courier with foodDROP. The wounded woman has been identified as Samaroo’s common-law wife, 24-year-old Kaia Sealy, a hairdresser from Bamboo Settlement #1, Valsayn. The couple shares a 5-year-old son, while Samaroo also has an older child from a previous relationship.



According to initial reports, Police began to chase a white Toyota Aqua (PDS 1703) in Maloney, around 12:30 PM, heading West along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, and ended with gunshots in St. Augustine, at the corner of Bassie Street Extension and Dookiesingh Street.

Police said the suspects opened fire on the Officers, forcing them to return fire as per the Use of Force policy utilized by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).

Two (2) occupants of the Aqua were wounded and as the driver lost control, the car landed in a shallow drain. They were pulled out of the vehicle and conveyed to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mount Hope, where Samaroo was subsequently pronounced dead, while Sealy remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Police have confirmed a firearm and ammunition were found in the Aqua.

Officers of the North Central Division, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sunil Bharath, are currently conducting investigations at the scene.

Relatives are uncertain about what led to the fatal encounter and have accused the Police of refusing to communicate with them since the incident.

This is said to be the third fatal Police-involved shooting for the year and the third within the last four (4) days.

On Friday (16th January, 2026), Officers of the North Central Division, posing as Facebook Marketplace buyers, shot and killed two (2) men and wounded a third during a sting operation at Community Drive, Mount Hope. A fourth suspect managed to escape. The wounded man was treated at Hospital and later discharged.

Later that same night, Officers assigned to the Western Division shot and killed a man identified as Kyle Harewood, behind a bar in Le Platte Village, Maraval.

Investigations are continuing into the latest Police-involved shooting incident in St. Augustine.

More on this as it becomes available. 

[Source: Ian Alleyne]

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