Sherwin Peters, a 36-year-old former SWAT officer, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the manslaughter of Orin Boston, a father of two, during a controversial 2021 operation. The sentence was handed down on Thursday by Justice Sandil Kissoon in the High Court, who condemned the actions of the SWAT team as “unlawful, unreasonable, unjustified, disproportionate, and excessive.”
During the proceedings, Justice Kissoon emphasized that the heavily armed SWAT team raided Boston’s home without a search or arrest warrant, lacking lawful authority to enter what he described as Boston’s “castle and sanctuary.” The judge found inconsistencies in Peters’ claim of a confrontation, pointing out that evidence from fellow officers and the crime scene contradicted his account. He noted that the trained SWAT unit failed to exercise the necessary caution and restraint, resulting in the shooting of the unarmed man while he was asleep in bed.
Despite the prosecution mentioning compensation paid to Boston’s widow and the defense’s appeals for leniency, Justice Kissoon determined that there were no mitigating circumstances in the case. He remarked that Peters was “fortunate” not to have faced a murder charge.
Peters, who was unrepresented during the trial but later engaged attorney Keoma Griffith for sentencing, will have his 25-year sentence calculated from June 25, the date the jury returned its guilty verdict and he was remanded to prison. The State was represented by Prosecutor Latifah Elliot.
This case has drawn significant attention to the conduct of law enforcement during tactical operations and the accountability of officers involved in such incidents.
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