'Duppy' reprisals? - Port Morant residents fear blame by thugs for 'Film's' death

While some residents expressed relief at news of the shooting death of Marlon 'Duppy Film' Perry, the man dubbed Jamaica's most wanted criminal, others in the area in which he was killed by police fear that there may be reprisals.

Perry, who had been sought by security forces for nearly two years, was yesterday shot and killed by the St Thomas police at a guest house in Port Morant, where he was reportedly staying.

One resident, who said that she lived near to the guesthouse, recalled her experience.

"When mi start hear the gunshot dem, mi run guh inna mi bathroom because a the safest place inna mi house. Is like dem (gunshots) neva did a done!" she said.

According to the woman, she had never been so afraid.

"Right now, mi fraid. Mi hear seh man dead round deh (guest house), but mi neva know who. A when mi come pon di road mi hear dem a seh a him (Perry). Now wi ah fret seh him people dem a guh tink seh a wi inform and den want tek revenge pon wi round here," she said, adding that before yesterday, she had no idea what Perry looked like.

Another resident mentioned that he had heard, on numerous occasions, that Perry was hiding in and around the community.

"A long time mi hear seh him deh here, but mi neva si him yet, and even suh, a nuh my business cause dem man deh a serious man," he said as people standing nearby rebuked him into silence.

In the meantime, head of the St Thomas Police Division Superintendent Beau Rigaby told The Gleaner that it was unfortunate that Perry had to be fatally shot.

"There are a lot of things that we would have loved to be able to speak to him about, but he decided to confront the police, and that was the end result," he said.

Reports are that at about 10:30 a.m. yesterday, a team from the Morant Bay division conducted a raid at the Allshamar Guest House in Port Morant, where, upon entry, they were engaged by a man.

Rigaby said that the police returned fire, and the man was shot and taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital, where he was pronounced dead and identified as Perry.

The policeman said that two pistols and an imitation firearm were recovered from the scene, and two persons, including the owner of the guest house and his female friend, were taken into custody for questioning.

Perry was accused of the 2015 killing of Corporal Kenneth Davis and Constable Craig Palmer and was also suspected of being involved in a string of shootings, rapes, and other crimes.