Police Sergeant Philbert Kendall made his second court appearance on Friday in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Ronaldo Peters, which had ignited days of protest and unrest in the mining town of Linden.
Kendall appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where the prosecution made a partial disclosure of statements to the defence, which was led by attorney Patrice Henry.
The case has been transferred to the Linden Magistrate’s Court for continuation on June 19, 2025.
The police sergeant was first charged last month for the fatal shooting of Peters, which occurred on Monday, April 7, 2025. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and remains on remand.
Peters, who was reportedly wanted by police for questioning in relation to an alleged rape of a child under 16 years, was shot dead by a plain-clothes officer later identified as Kendall.
At the time of the incident, Kendall was stationed at the Wismar Police Station. CCTV footage reportedly captured him exiting an unmarked minibus and chasing Peters, who had been standing at a corner shop.
According to the officer’s account, he pulled Peters from a fence during a scuffle, and in the process of subduing him, his service pistol, held in his right hand, discharged, fatally wounding the young man.
Peters’ death led to widespread outrage and protest action in the town that degenerated into violence. During one of such protests, 32-year-old Keon Fogenay was shot dead by police as rioters clashed with security personnel.
After a public outcry and calls for a separate inquiry, a three-person team of the Regional Security System (RSS) – the Caribbean’s coordinating security machinery — flew in to assist local security forces.
The team, tasked with probing both killings, has since completed its review of Peters’ shooting, after which the case file was sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Meanwhile, the RSS’s investigation into Fogenay’s death remains ongoing.
