MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The Manchester police have formally charged a 22 year-old man for the murder of Corporal Melvin Smith in this south central town on the night of October 27.

Superintendent Wayne Cameron head of the Manchester police named the accused as Kemar Bennett, otherwise called ‘Sparta’ of Settlement in Williamsfield, Manchester.

Cameron said Bennett was pointed out in an identification parade last Friday and was formally charged Tuesday night. In addition to murder, Bennett has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm, wounding with intent and robbery with aggravation.

Two additional charges of robbery (unrelated to the murder) have also been laid against Bennett, including one just 25 minutes before Corporal Smith was killed. The same establishment, a gaming lounge on Ward Avenue, was targeted in both cases, Cameron said.

“One robbery took place just 25 minutes before the murder at a gaming lounge on Ward Avenue and on the 14th of October the same place was robbed we believe by the same person,” Cameron said.

Corporal Smith, a member of the Community Safety and Security Branch in the Manchester Police Division and considered to be among the more popular and well known lawmen in Manchester, was gunned down while in pursuit of men who had robbed a young man of his motorcycle. The victim of the robbery was also injured in the shooting incident.

Cameron said yesterday that police investigators were searching for another suspect.

“There is another suspect we are aware of and we are going in search of him,” the police chief said.

Cameron reaffirmed that a commitment he made to the family of Corporal Smith that those responsible for his death will be caught and punished “is being fulfilled”.

Garfield Myers