Cops kill three in MoBay; INDECOM launches probe

Saturday, February 11, 2012

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Three men were killed by the police in an alleged shoot-out early yesterday in the quiet community of Rose Vale Estate in St James.

The deceased men have been identified as 27-year-old Gregory Witter; 21-year-old Neko Nesbeth, also called 'Kirk', and his brother, Dwayne Nesbeth, 18, otherwise called 'Wormo' — both of Vietnam addresses in Rose Heights, St James.

The police reported that they recovered a 9mm pistol with eight rounds and a .357 magnum handgun with four rounds during the incident.

According to police reports, at about 5:30 am members of a police team, "acting on information," went to a premises on Rose Vale Avenue where they were greeted with gunfire. A shoot-out ensued and the three men were found suffering from gunshot wounds, the police said.

They were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

They stated that a woman, who was in the house, was taken to the Barrett Town Police Station where she was questioned and later released.

But Lashawn Ricketts, who claimed that she is the girlfriend of one of the deceased, contradicted the account of the incident given by the police.

She claimed that she was in house when the police team came to the premises.

"Mi hear di door a beat down and so mi jump up and mi hear somebody seh 'police, open the door', so mi look fi the key and open the front door. When dem come in, mi put mi hand in the air and sey 'officer what mi duh, what mi duh'?" a distraught Ricketts told the Observer.

According to her, she was later dragged by policemen outside. Shortly afterwards, she said, she heard a barrage of gunshots inside the house.

Claiming that the men were killed in cold blood, the teary-eyed Ricketts appealed for a thorough investigation in the incident.

The Bureau of Special Investigation and the Independent Commission of Investigations have commenced their probe into the incident.