MONTEGO BAY, St James — The mother of a teen boy who was fatally shot as a police team ended operations in Granville on Mother’s Day did not have much to say Monday as her neighbours protested. But every word she uttered dripped with grief and anger.

“Mi son surrendered to them. You tell the little man to hold up his hand and you still shoot him,” lamented the woman.

“Police them fi go weh, we want justice in Granville!” she added, her voice rising.

She declined to provide her name or her son’s but the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) referred to him as 17-year-old Tjey Edwards from Granville. His fatal shooting is one of 11 by the security forces that the civilian-staffed State agency is currently probing. By Indecom’s count, there have been 126 of these incidents so far this year.

In a number of these cases, residents have given accounts that conflict with the official police reports; and that was once again the case on Monday. Councillor Michael Troupe (People’s National Party, Granville Division) and a handful of residents, some bearing placards that hyperbolically dubbed the shooting the Mother’s Day Massacre, questioned the police’s version of how Tjey died.

According to Jamaica Observer sources in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), about 6:00 am Sunday members of a security team were in the area seeking wanted men. Upon leaving the community they reportedly approached the teen, and there was a confrontation during which the boy was shot. The police say a black Taurus G2C pistol with an affixed magazine containing one 9mm round was taken from his body.

However, Tjey’s mother has dismissed the police’s version of the incident.

“Oonu search the man and see that the man no have no gun,” she insisted.

According to some of her protesting neighbours, the teenager was walking home from a party when he was approached by cops who attacked him without a reason.

Tyrone Gordon was among the group’s most vocal critics.

“I want to see the police [man] that did the shooting! We want him to be brought to justice… The youth give up, so that police [man] should go before a judge and jury!” he raged.

Councillor Troupe described Tjey as quiet and someone who voluntarily helped clean up the community after Hurricane Melissa caused extensive flooding last October. He spoke of a close professional relationship with the teenager’s mother and his plans to help her cope with the loss of her son.

“I have to get some counselling for her… She is my worker in politics so anything that need to be taken care off, I will assist her. Right now she is in mourning because her first son died by the police,” Troupe declared.

This is the second incident, since the start of the year, for which there has been upheaval in Granville stemming from a fatal shooting by law enforcers. On January 1, four-year-old Romaine Bowman was killed by a bullet allegedly fired from a weapon wielded by a member of the security forces. Two men were also shot dead during that incident.

Indecom’s investigations continue in that incident and Sunday’s shooting has been added to its long list. However, Troupe is not expecting much from the probe.

“Indecom coming to investigate is a bag of nonsense, because when Indecom investigate you don’t hear anything further,” he argued.

“All I’m asking is that the police take care of the young generation because since year started we’ve had 117 persons [killed] by the police. Last year we had 317 or 320; the youths are dying out from the hands of the police,” the councillor added.

In contrast, Member of Parliament for St James West Central Marlene Malahoo Forte tried to ease the tension during her visit to the community.

“The loss of life in the circumstances is very unfortunate. I wasn’t present, so naturally I have to rely on what I’m told; and already there are multiple versions of what happened,” she said.

“Not everyone who has spoken is a direct eyewitness and there is a lot of trauma because it’s raw… The good thing is that we have independent investigations by Indecom and the process will have to be gone through,” she added.

Malahoo Forte noted the broader issues raised by protesters.

“I find it interesting that so many other issues around policing and national security are brought into the conversation. You would have heard them asking for body-worn cameras, you would have heard them speak onto other issues that are live in the space,” she said.

The MP promised to keep an eye on the investigations into the teen’s death.

“I am interested in getting to the bottom of it, we don’t want the community to flare up beyond [control]. There are a lot of women who need help, children need help and guidance,” she said.

“I’ll continue to monitor and ensure that the matter is properly investigated — as I know Indecom will do — and have some conversations with the police,” she added.

Member of Parliament for St James West Central Marlene Malahoo Forte and St James divisional commander for the Jamaica Constabulary Force Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels in discussion on the sidelines of Monday’s protest in Granville.