Father Says Court Orders to Transfer Rashawn Shabazz to Clarevue Were Never Enforced

Source: Antigua Observer

The father of Rashawn Shabazz says repeated court orders directing that his son be housed at Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital instead of His Majesty’s Prison were never enforced, a failure he believes ultimately contributed to his son’s death.

Speaking on Observer AM, Khalid Shabazz said his son, who had lived with mental illness for more than 15 years, died just days before his 36th birthday following an incident at His Majesty’s Prison on July 23. He said the justice and mental health systems repeatedly failed to implement legal directives intended to ensure his son received psychiatric care rather than remaining incarcerated.

According to Khalid Shabazz, court orders issued by the late Magistrate Conliffe Clarke and later by Magistrate Dexter Wason instructed that Rashawn Shabazz be transferred to Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital. However, he alleged those orders were never carried out.

He claimed authorities justified the decision by describing his son as aggressive, but argued that such behaviour is often associated with severe mental illness and should not have prevented him from receiving treatment in an appropriate medical facility.

Khalid Shabazz also maintained that his son was not serving a sentence for a criminal conviction related to the recent incident but was being held at the prison because of his mental health condition.

He further alleged that Rashawn’s case reflects a broader problem, claiming that other individuals with mental illnesses are also being housed at His Majesty’s Prison instead of receiving treatment at psychiatric facilities. He argued that Antigua and Barbuda has not invested sufficiently in mental health services, trained personnel and specialised care needed to manage individuals experiencing psychiatric crises.

The grieving father also said many families struggle to secure assistance for relatives living with mental illness, particularly those without financial means or influence, and called for greater equity in access to mental health care.

Police have reported that on July 23, Rashawn Shabazz became aggressive and barricaded himself inside his prison cell after officers attempted to escort him for a scheduled medical assessment. Authorities said non-lethal measures were used to remove him after efforts to peacefully resolve the situation were unsuccessful. He was transported to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, where he was later pronounced dead.

However, Khalid Shabazz disputed the suggestion that his son died after arriving at the hospital. He said he was informed by medical personnel that Rashawn’s heart had stopped beating before reaching the medical facility.

He is now calling for a full autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and says both his family and the public deserve answers. He also urged authorities to ensure the investigation is thorough and transparent, expressing concern that incidents involving people in state custody often fade from public attention without adequate accountability.

Police have confirmed that a full investigation into the incident is underway and have extended condolences to the Shabazz family.

This article is based on statements made by Khalid Shabazz during an interview on Observer AM and reporting by the Antigua Observer.