MONTEGO BAY, St James — A security guard who remains hospitalised after being attacked, allegedly by a parent, at Corinaldi Primary School in Montego Bay, says he still loves his job.

He’s been a guard for 33 years, the last four at the school, and his only wish is for those who engage with him and his peers to show them a little more respect. Security guards will reciprocate, he said.

“I know that this is a challenge; it’s not the first time I do security work, but I… wouldn’t give up my job,” 55-year-old Euton Fearon told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.

Being a security guard requires a certain level of discipline, the ability to treat others fairly, and to be “very loving, very tender when it comes to people and have manners, talk to people properly,” he said.

Fearon, who is also a pastor at Triumphant Zion Church Limited, has a message for parents: “I would say to all the parents right across Jamaica, even across the world: It’s better you talk more softly and more better with the persons who are security guards or police or whosoever. It may be then you will get your business ironed out more easily.”

He is still bemused at the turn of events on Monday that left him nursing injuries to his head.

Fearon said the parent, whom he would not allow on the school compound as per the rules, pushed him and he went to get his baton. He tried again to talk to the parent, he said, and the man pushed him again. He retaliated.

“Him use him two hand a chuck mi inna mi chest and when him chuck mi inna mi chest, mi actually drop and so now mi use the baton and hit him. After mi lick him with the baton now, him hang on to the baton and when him hang on to the baton now, mi decide say mi nah let it go because him taller than me and have more body more than me,” said Fearon. “That’s where him start to use him foot in the left side of mi head so that the right of mi head start to lick up on the ground… Trust mi, one of the time mi start to black out; mi black out fi couple minutes well.”

The police have collected his statement as they assess the case.

Senior superintendent of police in charge of St James Vernon Ellis explained that investigations are currently under way and care is being taken to ensure rigour is not sacrificed for the sake of speed. He was aware, he said, of the great interest in the case.

“While it is sensitive, we still have to play it by the rule of law. Speed will affect accuracy. We recorded statements already; we are just awaiting some other pieces of the process to complete. We know that everyone wants to hear the end result as it has a lot of emotions and talking points around it, but we have to do this thing professionally,” he told the Observer.

Ellis was unable to confirm reports that the parent had filed a complaint alleging that the guard delivered the first blow.

Fearon is hoping the matter will be resolved in his favour.

“I could have died. I get one child with my wife but she have four. All of them mostly call me dad and, to be honest, it would hard to know that I have gone leave them and there is nothing in return,” he said.

He’s now awaiting a brain scan but says he is not in a lot of pain.

“I’m not feeling too bad now, just feeling a little headache because that’s where mi get the bounce. But otherwise I’m okay so far. Body intact, everything, just my head alone,” he said.