POLICE investigating the murder of a teenager in Leamington continue to appeal for witnesses one week on from his death.
Officers were called to Tachbrook Road at around 11am last Wednesday morning (January 15) to a report two males had been stabbed in flats and on the street.
Emergency services attended but one of the victims, 17-year-old Nasir Patrice from Birmingham, died at the scene while an 18-year-old man from Birmingham was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A post mortem has confirmed that Nasir Patrice died as a result of a stab wound to the chest.
Four males have been arrested in connection with the stabbing and have been released on police bail while investigations are ongoing.
A 33-year-old man from Leamington, a 17-year-old boy from Coventry, and an 18-year-old man from Birmingham who was injured in the incident, were all arrested on suspicion of murder.
An 18-year-old man from Birmingham was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Ch Supt Ben Smith from Warwickshire Police said: “Today marks one week since the tragic murder of Nasir Patrice and our thoughts continue to remain with Nasir’s family and friends at this difficult time.
“The public can expect to see a heightened police presence in and around the Tachbrook Road area today as our officers conduct enquiries to try to identify further witnesses and offer reassurance to local residents.
“If you have any concerns or think you may have information that could help with our investigation, I would urge you to speak to one of our officers – any information you may have, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, could really help with our investigation.
“We are still searching for a young black male who we believe may have been involved in this incident. He was last seen on Emscote Road in Warwick close to the junction with Fosberry Close at around 11.30am last Wednesday, a short time after the incident was reported, and he is believed to have sustained an injury to his leg.
“If you think you have seen this man or do see him, please get in touch.
“We are now in a position to confirm that one of our main lines of enquiry is that this incident was linked to county lines drug dealing which is a type of organised crime which can involve the exploitation of vulnerable people, including children, by drug gangs from bigger cities in order to sell drugs in smaller towns.
“This is a national issue faced by smaller counties such as Warwickshire, and tackling it while taking action against those believed to be involved in county lines remains a priority for Warwickshire Police.”
Police are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the stabbing, have CCTV or dash cam footage of the area at around the time of the incident, saw something suspicious or have information that could help with the investigation.
They also want to hear from anyone who saw a young black male on Emscote Road close to Fosberry Close in Warwick at around 11.30am on the day.
Call Warwickshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website www.crimestoppers-uk.org quoting incident number 137 of 15 January 2020.
