I was one of the eight wanted men - Jah T

Pork may just have saved the rastaman's life that ill-fated day on May 7, 2003. In fact, Delroy James, known by all as Jah T, is certain that it did. Otherwise, he would have been enjoying the evening with his friends, as he usually did, at their favourite spot inside the quiet community of Kraal, Clarendon.

"When I went to the yard that evening, they said to me, 'Jah T, a nuh fi yuh food today yuh know 'cause a pork soup we a guh cook'. We laugh and mi sey 'everything good man', suh me leave and go over me old lady house guh lie down and drop asleep," the 56-year-old shared as he stood in the yard where he could have so easily taken his last breath.

He said he was awakened later that evening by the sound of a motor vehicle, followed by loud talking. He was about to walk over to the house, but a sudden downpour of rain forced him to change course and rush to remove his clothes from the line.

"By me reach the line and hold the first piece a clothes, a bare gunshot me hear like rice grain. The only thing me coulda think bout is that another community come carry out some attack," he said.

Jah T said he rushed down the road and found out at that point that police officers had invaded their quiet community turning it into a war zone.

When the dust settled, members of the now disbanded Crime Management Unit had claimed the lives of four persons - Lewena 'Ferris' Thompson, 38; 45-year-old Angella 'Angie' Richards, Kirk 'Renegade' Gordon and Matthew James, both 29.

The police claimed they were fired on as they approached the house, which forced them to return the fire. They later reported that they recovered two illegal firearms and several rounds of ammunition.

"Is later me hear that them did come for eight of us," Jah T stated. "I was one of the eight men them say was wanted for extortion. Them say when them come for us, we open fire at them and them return the fire and four dead and four on the run."

What was their alleged crime? The police claimed they were in search of eight wanted men - headed by Bashington 'Chen Chen' Douglas - for their role in an extortion racket on the owners of the now abandoned AusJam gold mine in the community, for which the men worked. The police said they also got reports that the men had planned to kidnap two of the operators of the company.

Chen Chen was also reportedly wanted for other crimes in Homestead, Spanish Town, St Catherine.

'news to me'

"We nuh know nutten bout that. It was news to me. Even after that, we bring the boss from the gold mine up here, who talk to Scotland Yard and him tell him nutten nuh guh suh. A di story that dem did mek up fi come kill we off," the Rastaman stated.

Jah T said he never left the area or went into hiding like the others did. He said every day he was right on the spot, giving statements and interviews. Which puzzled him, because he was supposedly wanted, yet no one made any attempt to take him into custody although he was in plain sight.

"Me know say me never duh nutten, suh me never plan fi guh hide. Missa Shields (former Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields) tell me say him neva did a guh arrest me, that him going to conduct him investigation to see what is what," he said.

"Is after everything that we start hear all sort of story. A di first me hear all those things bout Chen Chen and that him was involved in anything and wanted by the police. Me really did just know him through him girlfriend, Angie, and we know say him father side of family come from here."

Jah T, who has written a book about the life of Chen Chen, said he died a year later, reportedly at the hands of gunmen.

The police officers, led by then Senior Superintendent of Police Reneto Adams, were exonerated two years after the incident of all wrongdoing in the controversial killing that rocked the nation for years.

STILL SCARED

Eleven years later, Jah T said that ill-fated day forever changed the community of Kraal. It's a day that no one will ever forget.

"We used to keep a memorial every year, but is a few years now we don't keep it because every time it come to dat time everybody just sad. But we want to start it back," he said.

"That was the first killing to ever take place in Kraal. The first killing and last killing here was when the police come here come kill di people dem."

He added, "From dem time till now we scared a way. The place just different. We nuh live like how we used to. Every ting mek we jumpy a way. Fi a long time everybody did fraid say the police a come back for the rest a we who dem say did wanted. Fi weeks nobody nuh sleep."

Jah T said several persons were so afraid that they moved out of the community, and those who stayed locked themselves inside their homes, not daring to come out unless it was absolutely necessary.

Neighbour Beverly Brown agrees. "We still remember. We can't forget it. We can't forget it," she uttered, shaking her head.

Jah T said the residents longed to go back to the days when Kraal was free from fear and everyone just relaxed, went about their farming, school or other business during the day and enjoyed each other's company at nights.

anastasia.cunningham@gleanerjm.com

Remembering KRAAL

- 11 years later -

On May 7, 2003, an
unimaginable horror forcefully hit the residents of the normally
peaceful community of Kraal in Clarendon. Members of the now-disbanded
Crime Management Unit, led by then Senior Superintendent of Police
Reneto Adams, invaded the community as they searched for eight men
wanted for their role in an extortion racket on the owners of the
now-abandoned AusJam gold mine in the community. The police claimed they
were fired at as they approached the house, which forced them to return
the fire. When the dust settled, two men and two women lay dead.