Bashington “Chen Chen” Douglas, the man at the centre of the celebrated Crawle incident in Clarendon, in which four people were killed by the Reneto Adams-led Crime Management Unit (CMU) two years ago, says he “still loves the police”, despite the things they had allegedly done to him.

Douglas was among a small group of friends, family and well-wishers gathered at the small, red-and-blue death house in the sleepy district yesterday, to mark the second anniversary of the shootings which claimed the lives of Lewena Thompson, Angela Richards, Kirk Gordon and Matthew “Renegade” James.

“Yuh haffi love police,” Douglas said, as he gave his version of the events that eventually led to the dismantling of the CMU. “Some police officers seh that they are the law but do not work with the law.”

At the time of the incident on May 7, 2003, the CMU reported that they had come under fire from the four when they attempted to apprehend Douglas, alleged leader of an extortion ring in the area. Police also said a Winchester rifle and a Taurus pistol with several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the house.

But residents contradicted the police version, insisting that the four were killed in cold blood. The CMU was later disbanded and the murder case is still before the courts.

Douglas made light of the incident, telling eager listeners how police officers slipped on the wet ground as they chased him.

Of the killings, he declared: “Is wicked dem wicked man. People dem bawl and beg fi dem life.”

Douglas lost his girlfriend, Richards, in the shooting. Richards’ older sister, Hiliary Rowe, also attended the memorial.

At the front entrance to the house cardboard signs were posted on the barbed-wire fencing yesterday. One read: “Do you remember the two women?” The mood was sombre but the killings of two years ago dominated the conversations of the group.

“Every time me come here so me remember it,” said Beverley Stewart, a cousin of Thompson. “Me very bad sah,” she told the Sunday Observer. “Cut up, cut up.”

Thompson’s daughter, Sharhona, arrived at the house with a bright smile. But when she hugged Stewart in greeting she buried her head in her cousin’s chest and began sobbing. When she left Stewart’s arms, she sat at the foot of a tree and continued crying.

Colin Whyte, the young girl’s father, said he also missed Thompson but had to persevere and take care of his daughter. He said the money he had spent on the case, which he believes has dragged on for far too long, has been a financial burden.

“It really set me back nuff nuff,” he said.

Yvonne McCalla-Sobers, chairperson of the civic group Families Against State Terrorism (FAST), which has been behind calls for full justice for the slain residents, said that memorials for victims were important as it helped to keep memories alive.

“It’s important remembering people, remembering names and who they are,” said Sobers. “Remembering that the struggle for justice goes on.”