Residents cry for justice after man shot during COVID curfew

WESTERN BUREAU:

For the second time in two weeks, controversy surrounds an incident involving members of the security forces and a citizen in St James under the curfews introduced to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus on the island.

The latest incident, which occurred on Sunday in the Retrieve district near Cambridge, has left residents crying out for justice.

When The Gleaner visited the community on Monday, they contended that the police were heavy-handed as there was no reason to open fire at a group of men, who had breached the curfew order and were playing a game of dominoes.

“Di man dem did a play dominoes inna my place about 3:15 p.m. when wi se a police vehicle mark SWAT pon the side a drive down the hill. Because the youth dem know seh de police dem a lock up people fi deh out a door inna de curfew, everybody get up and run, and all of a sudden, a pure gunshot the police dem start fire,” a man who gave his name only as ‘Rasta’ told The Gleaner.

According to the alleged eyewitness, even a 74-year-old man, who was watching the domino game, had to take evasive action as he fell off his seat as bullets rained.

An elderly woman, who was watching a movie at home with her great-granddaughter, said she heard a barrage of shots firing in her yard and when she regained her composure and looked outside, she saw the police with the injured man.

“When mi look out a door, mi see di police dem have [him] and a ask him seh why him run, and mi hear him a tell dem seh a true the curfew hours pass and him nuh want dem lock him so him run,” the woman told The Gleaner.

The elderly woman said the man appeared to be bleeding from a wound to his neck. He was subsequently taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital by the police.

In addition to demanding justice for the injured man, the residents are also calling for compensation for a damaged vehicle, which they say was parked along the roadway when the police crashed into it as they left the community.

The police, however, have given a different version of the events. The cops say they were on an operation in the Retrieve community, when they were fired upon by a group of armed men. They said that when they returned the fire, a man was hit by a stray bullet.

Errol Chattoo, director of complaints for INDECOM’s Western Region, told The Gleaner that a team from his office has taken statements from residents and were collecting statements from the officers and the victim.

Just over a week ago, 19-year-old Carmichael Dawkins collapsed and died while he and a friend, who found themselves on the streets of Montego Bay in breach of the nightly curfew, were reportedly being chased by a police team.

editorial@gleanerjm.com