Father of Joshua Samaroo detained over remarks in Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago: Christopher Samaroo, who is the father of police shooting victim Joshua Samaroo, was detained by police on Monday, June 22, due to controversial remarks that he made during a radio talk show that sparked widespread controversy on social media.

Joshua Samaroo died in a controversial police-involved shooting back on January 20, 2026, this incident created widespread debate in Trinidad and Tobago. 

His father reportedly arrived at the St. Clair Police Station on Monday around 6:30 p.m. along with his attorney Aaron Lewis to clarify comments he said had been misinterpreted and shared online. He said that his statements had been taken out of context and wanted to address any concerns directly with the investigators.

After this meeting, he spoke to the reporters and said, “I didn’t mean it like that,” and that he wanted the police to have the opportunity to question him and understand the actual context of his remarks.

According to Lewis, a senior police officer cautioned Samaroo regarding the alleged statements before informing him that he was being detained under the Regulation 11 of the Emergency Powers Regulations. Lewis further added that his client is expected to remain in custody for up to 48 hours while investigations continue.

Reportedly, Samaroo went to the police station to ‘clear up’ misinformation about his remarks made during a radio programme on Sunday. He also said that he wanted ‘to take the front before the front takes me,’ while referring to the posts and reports which he believed had misinterpreted what he said.

Reports suggest that police officers visited Samaroo’s residence in Maraval on Monday while he was at the police station. The officers were reportedly searching for him in connection with the investigation. 

The controversy started because of the remarks Samaroo made during a Father’s Day special on the Eye on Dependency programme. The arrest comes at a time when the case continues to gain national attention surrounding the brutal death of Joshua Samaroo, who was shot-dead by the police on January 20. His partner Kaia Sealy was also shot but survived fortunately, and suffered serious injuries.

The case has drawn attention nationwide ever since the CCTV footage of the shooting came out. Recently, Joshua’s partner, Kaia Sealy was charged with multiple offenses including manslaughter in relation to Samaroo’s death, and is expected to appear before the court.

However, investigations are ongoing on Samaroo’s father about the controversial remarks made by him in a radio talk show.