I'm being punished - cop exonerated in 'death squad' case accuses INDECOM of victimisation

Constable Collis Brown, one of the two policemen freed of murder in the so-called police death squad trial, has charged that he is being "punished" by the oversight body, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), because of his refusal to do "certain things".

Brown, who is more popularly known as 'Chucky', and Corporal Roan Morrison were found not guilty of murder and wounding with intent by a seven-member jury yesterday after a near five-week trial in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.

There are 10 other so-called 'death squad' cases before the court that involve allegations of murder, wounding and other criminal offences against police personnel who were attached to the Clarendon Division.

Brown, who has been in custody since 2014, is facing two other murder charges.

Yesterday's not guilty verdict was a bitter-sweet moment for the constable, who learnt hours earlier that his father had died.

"My father wanted to see me before his eyes closed," he said, revealing that he broke down in tears when he got the news of his passing.

Brown and Morrison were arrested and charged by INDECOM following a shooting incident in May Pen, Clarendon, on February 13, 2010, in which a 20-year-old Clarendon man, Phaebian Dinnal, was killed and another man injured.

'THEY WANTED ME TO DO CERTAIN THINGS'

"I was punished by INDECOM because they wanted me to do certain things. I never did it. Instead, we end up in a ruption," Brown told The Gleaner during an exclusive interview after the verdict.

He did not provide any details of what he claimed INDECOM asked him to do, but asserted that he was arrested and charged after an exchange with the agency's assistant commissioner, Hamish Campbell, at the Jamaica Defence Force's Up Park Camp headquarters.

"Hamish Campbell came and said, 'Mr Brown, you not working with us, so we gonna send you down to Horizon [Adult Remand Correctional Centre in St Andrew]', believing that I would have fretted or cried," Brown recounted.

He said three days after that, he was handcuffed, slapped with criminal charges and transported to the then Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

"Dem have me a Horizon a pressure me, pressure me ... waa stress me out," he asserted.

Late yesterday evening, INDECOM said it had no comment on the accusations made by Brown, indicating that he was involved in other related matters before the court.

With several past and current senior police officers providing support, Brown said the not guilty verdict after nearly two hours of deliberations was not surprising.

"I am OK with it because that was what I expected. I did my job well and God is on my side," he said.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com