00:00While the media was asked not to enter the chapel along Church Street in St. James,
00:04several persons including family, friends and even opposition leader Penelope Beckles were seen at the funeral.
00:10Also present were at least four police vehicles with others seen driving in the area during the service,
00:16something that alarmed relatives given the circumstances of Samru's death.
00:21I understand the police have their work to do and we have to obey with their laws.
00:30But for me, personally, as a relative and the unforeseen way that this tragedy happened,
00:42it's very painful to see a police or any police with guns. That is where the problem is.
00:53Family members described feeling anxious and uneasy under the weight of the police presence.
00:58Once they have those guns on their chest and they're looking at you or they're talking to you rough,
01:06it triggers something and sometimes it feels very scary.
01:12If they drive behind me, I will feel scared.
01:16However, Camilia Samru said that despite the unease, the family paid their final respects to Joshua.
01:21Well, nobody talked about it because we all came here to mourn and that is what everybody was doing.
01:33She says the recent action of the police has left not just her family but the nation as a whole traumatized.
01:40Opposition leader Penelope Beckles also attended the funeral.
01:43As she said, she knew Samru's mother.
01:45And actually, the mother, Cathy Ann Samru, had a church in Arima called Marantha Ministries.
01:51So I'm familiar with the family.
01:53OK, so she had, you know, a church there for a very long time, you know, and served the people of Arima.
02:01So both mother and father. So that's really how I know the family.
02:04And even with that said, the opposition leader notes that Joshua's death was something that had triggered concern in society.
02:11Joshua would have not been the only individual where circumstances like that would not have resulted in the death of someone.
02:20So as a society, we must be concerned. And that's my responsibility.
02:23The tragic circumstances surrounding Joshua Samru's death continue to raise questions about police procedures, public safety, and the broader call for justice and transparency.
02:33The family is also reiterating their calls for systemic changes to prevent similar tragedies.
02:39Alexander Bruiswold, TV6 News.
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