Bunting condemns gun attack on police family, public sharing of gruesome images
Opposition Spokesman on National Security, Peter Bunting has condemned Saturday night’s heinous attack against a policeman and his family in St James, which claimed the life of the cop’s spouse and injured the lawman and their five-year-old son.
The deceased has been identified as Latoya Crystal Stephenson, 36, of West Village in Montego Bay. The cop is said to be a member of the Lottery Scamming Task Force.
“This cold-blooded assault on a young family is yet another tragic reminder of the unrelenting
violence plaguing our society,” said Bunting. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of
[the detective], and to the extended JCF family. No officer, and no citizen, should ever have to endure such trauma,” Bunting said in a release.
Bunting also decried the disturbing trend of circulating photographs and videos of victims in the
immediate aftermath of violent crimes.
“This popular violence voyeurism, where images of the deceased are shared online as if they were curiosities, is deeply dehumanising. It strips victims and their loved ones of their dignity at their most vulnerable moment, and retraumatises grieving families,” he said.
He reiterated the Opposition’s call for urgent and effective action to tackle violent crime, protect
the families of law enforcement officers, and restore safety to communities.
“We must act decisively to break the cycle of violence – and as a society, we must reject not only the acts themselves, but also the callousness that allows such indignities to be treated as entertainment,” Bunting said.
Police in St James are pursuing a person of interest, only so far identified as “Romario”, in relation to the deadly attack.
READ: Police looking for person of interest in deadly attack on cop’s family
It is understood that Romario had met with the policeman and Stephenson to return car keys on Saturday night on the Reading main road in the vicinity of the Elevate Lounge just about 8:00 pm.
Stephenson had reportedly exited the car and retrieved the keys before making her way back to the vehicle. It was during her return to the vehicle that she was reportedly shot and killed.
The policeman, who is assigned to the Area 1 Lottery Scam Task Force, received a gunshot to his back while their child was shot in the head.
