TENSION AFTER COP’S MURDER

Residents of Third Street in Trench Town are experiencing a heightened level of anxiety as mere hours after a shootout claimed the life of Corporal Oliver Mullings and 26-year-old Shemar Fletcher, a second fatal incident occurred, taking the life of Alton Dunn.

This has caused tension in the inner-city community to spike as residents are alleging that 43-year-old Dunn was innocently gunned down by police officers while at his home.

Residents reported hearing gunshots fire around 2 o’clock on Friday morning as the second shooting occurred.

One resident told The Gleaner that when she peered outside, she saw several police officers with high-powered rifles lining the street as two cops carried Dunn’s body from inside his home.

“Mi hear di shot ‘cause me live right inna di vicinity and when mi look dem a carry him out so, and dem a bar mi inna my yard wid gun,” she said. “A go dem go in deh go kill him.”

About 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, a team of police officers who had responded to a call from residents in the Kingston Western Police Division were attacked by gunmen.

In the battle, Fletcher, one of the suspected gunmen, was killed.

He is of a Second Street address in Trench Town, popularly known as Rema.

Residents stated that Dunn was not a part of Thursday night’s incident.

“That’s why we don’t talk to police and deal with police in a di community because dem come in and mek a whole heap a bad impression and bad memory and ting inna yuh mind, so you nuh wah have nothing fi do wid dem,” one woman said.

“We nuh say man nuh gwan wid tings, enuh. Don’t get mi wrong, [because] when mi a talk mi nuh talk biased. You have people weh do wrongs, but if you are the law, I think you supposed to [conduct yourself] in a more lawful fashion because you are not here to war,” she said further.

The woman bemoaned the continuous tension between law enforcers and citizens. She said that there were always two sides to a story and that police officers should not solely operate with information received from one end of the communication line.

Dunn’s long-time girlfriend with whom he had been in a relationship for 12 years stated community members were aggrieved by the way the police handled the situation.

“This unfair, but mek mi tell you something, the police dem only listen to one side ... . Dem tek hearsay from one side a Rema,” said the woman, who did not want to be named.

“The police get fi understand say some group a man which is fi him set dem (referring to Fletcher) deh here and the other rival gang a go do a shootout, so probably the police come fi mash down the situation,” she recounted.

She alleged that a couple hours after the cop was killed, the police received information that Dunn was at his home and went to kill him.

“Mi feel upset about it,” she said.

Dunn, who was incarcerated since 2016 was recently released on September 16, leaves behind four children, the eldest being 24 years old.

The grieving girlfriend recalled Dunn as a jovial, calm individual, who would ensure that children in the community get lunch money to attend school.

Senior Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, head of the police’s communications arm, told The Gleaner that sometime after 1 a.m. the police were on an operation in the area when they searched a premises and found a male who suffered a gunshot wound.

He was later pronounced dead at hospital and an illegal firearm was seized.

She said that Dunn was a known gang member and was said to be one of the founders of the Fatherless Gang.

Upon his return to the community after serving almost seven years in prison, there were reports that he had not turned away from a life of crime.

“He was very active in the space,” Lindsay said.

Although Lindsay could not confirm whether Fletcher was a member of the rival force in Rema dubbed as the Federal Gang, residents said that he was affiliated with them.

During a visit to the Denham Town Police Station on Friday in the wake of the cop’s murder, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang on Friday commended the police for their continued commitment and courage in fighting crime.

Describing the slain policeman as “a very good officer” who hailed from a family of police officers, he condemned the attack and offered condolences to Mullings’ colleagues and relatives.

He said that the policeman’s death while answering a call to protect citizens demonstrates the “peculiar challenge our police officers face on a daily basis, especially in this very city”.

He reiterated that the police would ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Opposition Spokesman on National Security Senator Peter Bunting also condemned the cop’s murder, noting that Mullings was the second police officer to be killed in less than a week, following last Saturday’s murder of Constable Brian Martin.

“It is especially abhorrent when the police who are carrying out their duties are met with such violence and hostility. Last night’s incident further demonstrates the callous nature of these criminals who casually snuffed out the life of an exemplary officer,” Bunting said.

Human rights lobby Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) also decried the murder of the two cops.

“While full details are still unavailable, initial reports indicate that both officers were killed while performing their duties. In a society plagued by violent crime, our law enforcement officers face great risks in the line of duty protecting Jamaicans,” JFJ said in a release.

“We hope that the perpetrators of this crime will be quickly brought before the courts and urge anyone with information that could assist to report it to the police. JFJ offers condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of both officers,” it added.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com