AARON Morgan, who was desperate to save his own life early yesterday morning, called the police to come to his rescue after allegedly being attacked with a knife in a domestic dispute, but a twist of events would lead to 35-year-old Tashekia McLeod, the mother of his four-year-old son, being shot and killed by the police, leaving him with self-blame and regret.

Residents of Maverly in St Andrew, where McLeod resided, later took to busy Molynes Road in protest, claiming police brutality.

They contend that the woman had been unfairly shot multiple times by a policeman.

Reports are that, while holding a knife, she allegedly charged at the policeman who, after reprimanding her and instructing her to drop the weapon — even firing a warning shot to gain compliance — fired on her in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

The incident occurred at Morgan’s home off Molynes Road, in the vicinity of Seaward Drive, in St Andrew.

Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Communications Director Dennis Brooks said yesterday that there was no available information which suggested that there was police brutality or excessive use of force inthe incident.

Brooks said the police responded to a domestic violence call and when they arrived they found McLeod behaving boisterously and sought to keep her away from Morgan, adding that the woman attacked the police.

Meanwhile, Brooks explained that the police have been procuring less lethal weapons and ensuring the proper training in how they are are to be used in the execution of their duties.

He, however, stated that the constabulary is aware that less lethal weapons can have lethal implications for policemen and women, depending on the circumstances.

According to Morgan, the mother of his child attempted to attack the police after she was kicked by one of them.

He indicated that he was at home when she turned up unannounced while he was in the company of another woman.

An emotionally broken Morgan, who took breaks in-between speaking with the Jamaica Observer, said that he had already started to move in his new companion as loneliness was beginning to take a toll on him after McLeod ended their relationship and relocated.

He said that their four-year-old son was at one point ordered into State care and it had been McLeod’s belief that he had colluded with government authorities to have the boy taken away.

The father, however, said he insisted to McLeod that was not so, but that did not stop the relationship from deteriorating.

“She a tell di police dem seh me attack har. Mi start tell di police dem seh a nuh suh it go. When mi reach down likkle nearer, she rush mi wid di knife in front a di officer dem, and mi a tell har fi stop. Mi kick off mi slippers and run.

“From that time the officer dem shoulda tek weh di knife from har, but dem mek she go siddung inna di van back and she put di knife inna har pants foot,” recalled Morgan.

He continued: “The police put we [Morgan and his new partner] inna di front part [of the service vehicle] and den a tell me seh mi fi go ’round a di back wid har, and mi tell dem ‘no’, because she have the knife said way.”

“Mumma [McLeod] come out a di van and seh a she get injured, so a she fi come inna di front a di police vehicle and we must go inna di back.” said Morgan. “The police tell her seh him nuh want she come ’round here come attack nobody, so she must stay a back. She turn to the police and seh something, and right away mi see di police go ’round deh and kick har. That was why she start retaliate and tek up di stone dem and fling after the police dem and draw out di knife and start rush dem.”

He said the police did not act on the information he gave them that she had been armed.

“When me tell dem bout di knife, dem shoulda really search har and tek the knife from har. Bredda, dem never haffi kill har. Dem coulda shoot har inna har foot and mek she drop di knife. It coming like seh ah all me cause dis, because a me call dem fi come do justice, and [because] she a retaliate, nobody nah look fi seh she probably crazy,” Morgan said.

He told the Observer that officers of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency had taken their son from them, claiming that they were unfit to care for him.

According to him, this was the beginning of regular fights between the two.

“Wi baby did deh a children’s home and a dat cause the friction [as she blamed me for giving away the child]. After counselling, we get back the baby, but she keep on a nag me ’bout it all the while and a seh me give away har baby and she left. No matter how much me tell har mi want har fi come back, a di argument she bring up back. She moved out [and said she was not coming back] and seh mi fi move on wid mi life. Mi just find somebody weh day who start to come around,” said Morgan.

He explained that on a previous occasion McLeod had got upset when she became aware that he had found a new partner.

“About two weeks aback she come yah come see di woman for the first time and start gwaan bad. She start to ask who is she and all a dat. Mi tell har seh mi ago rent out di room, plus mi want likkle company, because di place silent and she nah come back,” said Morgan.

Sylton McLeod, father of the deceased, said he was concerned about the well-being of his daughter’s six children and how her funeral would be funded, as he had no money to foot the upcoming expenses.

“My daughter is not a violent person. Only thing she do is drink. Mi nuh have no money fi bury har ennuh, and a dat a my problem. She dead leaving her six pickney. Mi never expect police woulda work suh. Dem kill har in front di four-year-old,” the grandfather lamented.

In a statement yesterday, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) said it had begun probing the incident.

Reports reaching INDECOM said that McLeod had three weapons in her possession — two knives and an ice pick.

Both members of the constabulary who were on the scene are set to be interviewed by INDECOM later this week.