Slain Officer receives military send off
An air of sadness filled the streets of Castries as the corpse of fallen officer Corporal Vincent Trevor Peter, was driven to the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Castries.
Corporal Peter was gunned down near the Bank of st. Lucia Waterfront Branch, while providing security service for a nightly deposit, on Friday February 19 about 9 p.m.
Members of the police band provided resounding renditions of various tunes suited for the occasion.
All uniformed groups were present for the send off.
During the procession the officers made two stops, one near the main branch of the Bank of St. Lucia, to circle around the hearst with their motorcycles.
The other stop was next to the Crown Prosecution Unit-where Corporal Peter worked- to observe a moment of silence.
The sidewalks were filled with onlookers, including school children, who curiously speculated the momentous occasion. Some were seen slowly wiping tears from their eyes.
The procession ended at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where the ceremony was held.
There was an overwhelming attendance. There were not enough seats to accommodate every attendant. A large number stood at corridors and alongside the church and another crowd took in the ceremony from outside.
Inspector Bernard Gaston was given to responsibility of delivering the Eulogy.
He said Corporal Peter not only had a passion for military service but also for farming.
He said staff of the crown prosecution will remember Corporal Peter as a forthright, generous, self-assured and no-nonsense individual.
He added that Corporal Peter’s motto was :”If you can commit the crime, you can do the time”.
Inspector Gaston said Corporal Peters died doing what he loved best: providing security for the people of St. Lucia.
Son of the deceased said the simple things in life made his father happy, simple things such as exercising early in the morning.
The service was presided by Father Mitchell, who ironically will also be presiding over the funeral of the assailant.
Father Mitchel stated that the large crowd was testimony of how much Corporal Peter was loved and how he touched the lives of others.
He stressed that necessary legislation needs to be put in place of protect officers from such criminal acts. (Prior to being gunned down, Peter’s assailant had uttered a threat to the police openly on National TV).
He added that Peter’s brutal and senseless killing is one that could foster change in society.
Corporal Peter was interred at the Choc cemetery.