‘I just want justice for my brother’

Some 200 people gathered outside Blanchardstown Garda station on Thursday morning calling for “justice” following the shooting of George Nkencho outside his home in Clonee, west Dublin, on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old was shot at least three times by members of the Blanchardstown Garda Armed Support Unit (ASU) while allegedly brandishing a knife and threatening Gardaí. A video shot by a passerby, showing a man in a blue sweater surrounded by ASU members, captured the sound of an opening shot followed by four more shots.

The man appears to stumble before falling to the ground on the fifth shot. At least three of the shots hit Mr. Nkencho, who received first aid at the scene and was taken by ambulance to James Connolly Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Chants of “justice for George” echoed through the Blanchardstown station Thursday as several speakers took to a makeshift stage calling for “transparency” of the Garda Ombudsman Commission’s (Gsoc) investigation into the shooting. Attendees also pledged to continue their protest in front of Blanchardstown station for the next 14 days. Thursday’s protest was mostly peaceful, apart from a small fight that broke out in front of the station entrance during speeches.

Emmanuel Nkencho, Nkencho’s younger brother who spoke briefly to the crowd, told The Irish Times that his family was “traumatized” by the shooting. “The last 24 hours have been hell,” said Mr. Nkencho, who watched the incident unfold from inside his home.

“Now I don’t have a brother, he was the oldest in the family. Now I have to take care of my mother. I just want justice for my brother. “

He said his brother had a “good heart” but had “suffered from mental health problems” in recent years. “He didn’t really go out, just to the store and back. You have your little group of friends and that’s it. My brother never bothered anyone, he just went on with his own life. “

Nkencho said he would like to speak directly to the Gardaí with questions about Wednesday’s shooting. “Why can’t more than 15 gardaí disarm a man?” He asked. “Until I know why, I won’t be at peace.”

Princess Toyin Ogunwusi, a friend of the family, said that Blessing, Nkencho’s mother, was doing it “horribly” and had not yet accepted the news of her son’s death. “The shock is too much for her. The shooting happened right in the presence of the family, they actually have a recording. It will be in their memories for the rest of their lives. “

Israel Ibanu, who played soccer with George at the Insaka Glentoran Soccer Academy for four years, described his friend as a “quiet and reserved” young man who was “dedicated to soccer.” He said that Mr. Nkencho started to walk away from his soccer group after his close friend Toyosi Shittabey was stabbed to death in 2010. “There was no support for him and he started to walk away from our group. He had no one to talk to about what he saw happen to his friend. “

Ibanu described the news of Nkencho’s death as “surreal.” “It was the last thing I imagined would happen to George, that a garda would shoot him.

“It seems impossible that this could have happened in Ireland. We see the shootings in America and we thank God for this peaceful country we live in, that would never happen here. But now it has happened and it is the worst feeling. “

Obi Odemena, leader of the Dublin Igbo union, said the local community was struggling to accept the shooting. “We just can’t understand what happened yesterday. I have been in this country for over 21 years and this is the first time that we have had an incidence of one of our people being killed by the police. When people found out about the shooting, was their first reaction ‘in Ireland’? “

Young people affected by George’s death should have time and space to cry, he said. “We know that nothing can be achieved through violence and we will ask young people to ensure that everything is done peacefully to obtain justice for George.”

Sunny Okague, a member of the Irish-Nigerian community of Clonee and whose children live on the same farm as the Nkencho family, said she echoed the protest’s calls for the “immediate suspension” of the Garda that led the operation of the Wednesday and the Garda who carried out the shot. “We would also like there to be transparency in the investigation and for the community to take it alone,” he added.

Taser Guns

On Wednesday, the Garda said in a statement that it implemented “a graduated police response” after being threatened with a knife. This is understood to have involved the use of pepper spray followed by the firing of two Tasers. Gardaí also verbally ordered the deceased to drop the knife several times before using force, a source said.

The incident began shortly after noon when, according to eyewitnesses, Mr. Nkencho entered the Eurospar supermarket in Hartstown where he struck a manager in the face, wounding the victim in the nose. Mr. Nkencho then took out a large knife from his pocket and brandished it towards the staff.

Then he entered the postal section of the supermarket as the unarmed Gardaí began to arrive. The supermarket manager was taken to the hospital for treatment.

At least 12 unarmed Gardaí followed Mr. Nkencho out of the store and through various housing estates while signaling him to drop the knife.

By the time Mr. Nkencho reached his front lawn at 12:30 pm, ASU had arrived from Blanchardstown Garda station and took over the operation. This is when the fatal shots were fired.

Gardaí has ​​obtained a video taken of the shooting that will be transmitted to investigators at the Garda Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc).