‘I cannot breathe’: Shallcross man's last words before alleged police killing

FOUR months after Raj Ellapen was allegedly beaten to death by Chatsworth Crime Prevention Unit officers, his sister Jayshree Sheik continues her fight for justice.

With no arrests made and little support from authorities, she vows to pursue accountability despite financial and emotional challenges.

Ellapen, 46, of Shallcross, died after he was allegedly beaten to death by members of the unit, on June 2, at Jamaica Flats in Shallcross. 

Sheik, 47, an online teacher, said while her brother was a recovering drug addict, he was kind and respectful. 

She said on that fateful day, she went to the scene thinking Ellapen had been attacked.

“I was under the impression he had been assaulted. But when I got there, I realised there were policemen involved. I initially thought he was conscious. But when he did not wake up for about 20 minutes, I asked someone if he was dead and they replied ‘yes’. 

“I asked the police at the scene what had happened. The one policeman said my brother was running and he had fallen and hit his head. However, the community who had gathered at the scene, alleged that the police had killed him. That is when the policeman went silent and stopped answering my questions,” claimed Sheik.

She alleged that eyewitnesses had said her brother was walking on the road when he was attacked. 

“My brother was casually walking when a van pulled into the parking lot of the flats. It has been alleged that the police were there to arrest two boys who were in possession of drugs. 

“When the police saw my brother walking by, they called him and searched him. My brother kept telling them that he had nothing. They allegedly grabbed him by his shirt and flung him to the ground. His head started bleeding immediately." 

Sheik said the impact with which her brother was flung to the ground, had contributed to his death.

“After he was flung to the ground, the policemen allegedly started kicking him. They also pepper sprayed him. The community screamed for the police to stop but there did not. They allegedly said they were going to kill him. The police accused the community of protecting the drug addicts,” claimed Sheik.

“The police allegedly hit him until he stopped breathing. My brother’s last words were ‘I cannot breathe’. But they did not stop. All the residents of Jamaica Flats witnessed what happened. The police took an innocent life. They arrested two other boys. They could have also arrested my brother. Instead, he was killed." 

Sheik said the past four months had been difficult for her family. 

“I have not been able to work properly since my brother’s murder. He did not have an ID. So I had to incur costs to get his body released, so we could perform his final rites. I had to borrow money on interest to give him a funeral. We are broken by his death. All I remember is my brother’s lifeless body on the ground."

She said on the day of the incident, she contacted the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

“There were three investigating officers who were apparently going to handle this case. To date I have not received any further information. I feel like I am being ignored because I am a woman. The Chatsworth police have not contacted me either. My details were taken at the scene of the incident." 

Sheik said the only time the police had called her, was when they told her she needed to identify her brother's body. 

“We still do not have the post-mortem results. The policemen who allegedly  killed my brother are still on duty. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient. But we want answers. I think someone is blocking the investigation from proceeding. Not a single detective came to my door to ask me to tell me anything." 

Sheik said she would not stop fighting until she received justice for her brother’s murder.

“No matter what, I will continue fighting. Clearly justice does not exist in our country but I will make sure my brother's death will not go unanswered," she said.

THE POST