OFFICERS of the police Mobile Reserve Division, as well as family members of slain police constable Mark Haughton could not contain their grief yesterday as they mourned his murder in one of Kingston’s toughest neighbourhoods.

Haughton was with colleagues on foot patrol in the violence-prone Payne Avenue area of South West St Andrew when the team came under heavy gunfire at about 9:30 pm.

Haughton was taken to hospital where he died about 2:30 yesterday morning while undergoing treatment. The police said he was shot in the spine. No other cop on the patrol was injured.

The murder of the 25-year-old Haughton, a past student of Dinthill Technical High School in St Catherine, pushed to eight the number of cops killed this year by gunmen.

“.There was a treat in the area and the team decided, of their own free will, to back up some other policemen who were in the area,” said Haughton’s commanding officer, Deputy Superintendent Delroy Bernard. “While there, they heard a barrage of gunshots, and they decided to go and investigate. And then shortly afterwards they saw him (Haughton) fall to the ground.”

Yesterday, Superintendent Michael Phipps of the Hunts Bay Police Station told the Observer that there were no suspects in the murder of the policeman, “but we are approaching the investigation with an open mind”. He asked people with information about the shooting to come forward.

“We’ve gone through the preliminary activities already, swabbing hands, taking statements, and as the day goes we will have other statements,” said Phipps.

The young policeman’s stepfather, Adolfus Bennett, who accompanied other family members to the Mobile Reserve Division, described Haughton as a well-mannered and disciplined man.

“.He will call me and tell me to only worry about their (his younger siblings’) school fee. Him will suit them out in khaki and buy them shoes and books. He was such a nice youth,” said Bennett.

Charmaine Sutcliffe, a family friend, said Haughton was always pushing himself as a youngster to achieve something positive for himself.

“He used to sell bag juice and put himself through all-age school and through Dinthill where he passed his subjects,” said Sutcliffe. “Him throw partner and send himself go to school. He was a nice and mannerable youth.”

Kamal Bennett, the slain cop’s brother, described Haughton as his role model.

“My brother was my role model, my motivator. I’m in cadet, and if I need a pair of combat boots it was he who would buy them,” he said.

“He was always telling me to try and pass five subjects. I got a 50 average and he was telling me that those kinds of grades not going to work, and how he wanted me to have it easier than him. On my last report I got an 80 average and now I can’t show it to him,” said Bennett, as tears came to his eyes.

Bernard, at the same time, described Haughton as a disciplined policeman.

“He had about four-and-a-half years of service,” said Bernard. “He was a hard-working, dedicated constable, a team person and very easy to get along with. He was very disciplined, that was his hallmark. He is the type of person that you can’t be mad at him. Last night (Sunday) while he was under the pain, one of the officers told me that he wished he could feel some of the pain for him (Haughton), that is how well liked he was.”