CLARENDON:
A POLICEWOMAN who was charged with murder after she allegedly shot and killed a man, was acquitted of the charge after a jury which deliberated for almost an hour returned a verdict of not guilty in the Clarendon Circuit Court yesterday.
Constable Zena Harrison from the May Pen Police station was charged with murder for the shooting death of Otis Brown of Farm District in May Pen on February 26, 2000. Constable Harrison was interdicted eight months after the incident, after the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled that she should be charged.
In recounting the incident in court testimony, Constable Harrison said that on the evening of February 25, 2000, she received a call about 6:30 p.m. that a robbery had taken place at a house on Bryan's Crescent in May Pen to which she and other police personnel responded. On reaching the scene of the incident they were told that a group of about 9 to 10 men armed with guns and other weapons had fled into the direction of the farm community.
She said the police party returned to the May Pen Police station where they received certain information. The police woman stated that a group of about 11 police including herself went to Farm District at about 12:30 a.m. on February 26 and said while driving to the area they heard a barrage of gunshots being fired.
Constable Harrison testified that the police vehicle was then parked in a dark area and that on reaching a section of the community, she was left to guard the vehicle, after the others had split into groups in search of the men.
Constable Harrison said a man approached her while she was alone in the dark, who then shouted expletives at her and said he was going to kill her, the person said "Hey, (expletives deleted) the police bwoy dem gone left you one, a gwine kill you and teck yu gun", the policewoman said the man shouted.
STRUGGLE
According to Constable Harrison, a struggle then ensued between her and the man during which she reached for her gun and during the struggle she said she slipped and her gun went off and a bullet hit her attacker. He was later identified as Otis Brown a.k.a "Terry" who was pronounced dead on arrival at the May Pen Hospital.
But witnesses of the crown disputed that claim. At least two of the crown witnesses who said they were standing at a shop and witnessed the incident said there was no struggle between the policewoman and Brown.
According to one of the witnesses, he heard when the police said, "si one a di bad man dem ya", and he heard a voice said "mi a no bad man". The witness then said they brought the man in the light after which he saw that it was Brown. The witness continued that the police then searched him after which he said he saw when Constable Harrison walked over to Brown like she was passing him, when he heard a gunshot fired and he saw that the policewoman had shot Brown.
A medical report presented to the court by Dr. Desmond Brennan said that the death of Brown was due to rupture of the spleen. The medical report said Brown was shot in the left side of his lower back which resulted in the ninth left rib fracturing and the bullet lodging near the right side of his chest. The report also suggested that the gun was fired in an upright position at close range.
However, the evidence presented by the Crown did not convince the jury that the police woman was guilty of murdering Brown.
When the verdict was read at 4 p.m., Constable Harrison broke down in tears when she heard that she was found not guilty.
She was ushered out of the courtroom in the arms of her colleagues who were present in court after Justice Wesley James told her that she was free.
A mother of a 4year-old daughter, Constable Lena Harrison said she was very happy and thanked her colleagues who supported her during her trial.
