THE RELATIVES of a man who was fatally shot by police in a break-in in Cunupia yesterday are demanding a thorough investigation into the incident.The suspect, who was later identified as 35-year-old Abdullah Joseph, lived not far from where the incident happened in Cunupia. Relatives admitted that Joseph was a ‘petty thief’ but insisted that he did not carry a weapon. And they have condemned the officers’ response, saying ‘they did not have to shoot to kill him’.A statement issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) yesterday said the incident happened at around 4.30 a.m., when officers received information that a man was seen on the premises of a home belonging to a family who was out of the country.Central Division Task Force and Cunupia Police Station responded to the report, and on arrival heard crashing sounds coming from inside the building. The statement added that the officers entered the building and were confronted by a man of mixed descent armed with an apparent firearm, who engaged them.“Fearing imminent and immediate danger to their lives, and in keeping with the Use of Force Policy, officers discharged their service-issued firearms in the direction of the threat, following which the suspect fell to the ground with injuries,” the statement continued.The suspect was transported to the Chaguanas Health Facility, where he died.The release stated that Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro commended the officers for their quick response.Guevarro stated: “Let this incident serve as an unmistakable warning to anyone who believes they can terrorise communities or violate the sanctity of people’s homes. If you choose to arm yourselves, invade the homes of others, and confront law enforcement, you will face the full weight of the TTPS.”He said officers will act decisively, lawfully, and without hesitation to protect life, property, and the safety of every community across Trinidad and Tobago.“Home invasions are not crimes of opportunity and will be treated as calculated acts of violence, geared towards terrorising law-abiding citizens. I want to assure the public that the TTPS will continue to respond with the urgency and necessary force required, to stop those who engage in these crimes,” he said.‘I never know him to have a gun’ When the Express visited Joseph’s home in Petersville, Cunupia, yesterday, relatives asserted that Joseph was not armed.“Having a gun is out of the book for he (Joseph). I never know him to have a gun,” a relative, who asked to go unnamed, said yesterday.He added that it was common for Joseph to go to abandoned and unoccupied homes in Petersville, where he slept on the premises. However, he said this was the first time Joseph had entered a home.The relative said that at around 5.30 a.m., the family was informed by neighbours that Joseph was fatally shot by police at the compound a few houses away.“The neighbour heard him say his name and his father’s name, and then they heard the gunshots. The neighbour say they heard five to seven gunshots,” the relative continued.Another relative, who also requested not to be named, criticised the police’s response.“They did not have to shoot to kill him. They could have shot him in the leg and held him. Yes, he was a known offender, but more for petty thief, and he didn’t have a weapon,” the relative continued.Relatives added that when they visited the scene, they saw footprints on the wall, which they believe showed that Joseph attempted to flee the scene before he was fatally shot.The Express also spoke with the caretaker of the home Joseph entered, who said he had been found trespassing on the property on many occasions, and warned. On each occasion, he said Joseph created ‘a mess’, bringing in garbage and discarding it in the yard. The caretaker said that the fatal incident was tragic.He confirmed that at the time of the incident, no one was at home.He said that he believed Joseph used a stand to climb onto the roof of the house, where he gained entry into the building through the under ceiling.The Express noted that the tiles of the under ceiling were not properly set and there were footprints on the wall and the moulding around the window.The caretaker said he arrived at the property around 8.30 a.m. By that time, he said, Joseph’s body was already moved.“When I reached, I saw the drawers were ransacked and there was blood in the corridor,” he continued.He added that they were unable to ascertain whether anything was stolen from the house.