By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE brother of a 36-year-old man shot dead during an argument over a debt says the killing has left four young children without their father, and that no disagreement is worth a human life.
Cedric “CID” Roker was killed off Carmichael Road on Saturday afternoon after a man driving a white van blocked his car and the two men argued over an outstanding debt.
“No disagreement is worth a human life. No moment of anger is worth destroying an entire family,” his brother, Ronald Roker, said in a statement yesterday.
He said Cedric was more than a victim. He was a devoted father and son, and a “man whose life mattered”. The family, he said, now faces a future without someone they hold dear.
“While our hearts are broken, our family remains united in our commitment to seeing justice served through the proper legal process,” he said. “We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and trust that those responsible will be held accountable.”
Police said Roker was leaving Apostolic Way in a black Honda with another person shortly after 4pm when the van pulled across his path and blocked him in. During the argument that followed, Roker is alleged to have produced a sharp object. Another man, who had been watching, walked over, pulled out a gun and shot him. The gunman fled south along Apostolic Way in a grey vehicle.
Roker died at the scene. Officers later took the 27-year-old driver of the van into custody. At last report, police said he was assisting with the investigation and that they were pursuing significant leads.
The family condemned the killing as senseless, saying the dispute should never have turned deadly. Ronald Roker urged people to settle their differences by talking and through peaceful conflict resolution.
He thanked the public for their support and compassion, asked anyone with information on the gunman’s whereabouts to come forward, and asked people to keep the family in their prayers in the difficult days ahead.
The killing pushed the country’s murder count to 64 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.