WATCH: Fiery protest in Grants Pen after man killed by police
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Irate residents of Grants Pen in St Andrew mounted a fiery protest in the community on Wednesday morning, blocking several roads with junk and stones, and torching garbage to protest what they deemed a “murder” of a man by members of the police force.
According to preliminary reports, a man known as ‘Sixx’ was killed during a confrontation with the cops in Grants Pen on Wednesday morning. The Constabulary Communications Network (CCN), the official communications arm of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), confirmed the shooting but had no details.
However, the residents of Grants Pen disputed the police’s version of events and have alleged that the killing was an extra-judicial murder.
“Ah just two to three shot fire inna the morning about 4:30 and bear police flashlight inna the yard. One man run because him no know if a war ah gwaan or what. The police dem murder Sixx, dem no find no gun, is like dem shoot him as him wake up outta him sleep. As him dead, dem throw him inna the back of the vehicle before the people dem coulda come outta 5,” one resident told Observer Online.
Another resident said that the police made a serious error in judgment with this killing.
“Sixx is not a yute inna no rumblings, him name no de ah station or nothing, and him all do construction work more time. The police cem couldn’t say mistaken identity because dem come and hold him last week, process him and let him go. So why dem come back come murder him now?” the resident asked.
As of May 19, there have been over 130 fatal shootings by the police, with 28 killings in January, 28 in February, 25 in March, 30 in April and 19 in May, not including Wednesday’s fatal shooting.
“The forces of the darkness have gone into the police force, it lef the yutes dem now and gone into the JCF. The police need to look into themselves. How much better am I than you if I do the same thing that you do? If is a shootout or confrontation, we understand that, but this ah murder,” another resident mused.
Observer Online will have more as this story breaks.
