By Erica James-King, Staff Reporter
Aaron Mathis (left), vice-president of the Portmore Taxi Association that represents operators plying the Spanish Town to Portmore routes, gets into a heated, finger-pointing verbal clash with another man. The men almost came to blows as they argued over whether or not to support the call for an islandwide strike yesterday. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
WHILE NOT openly critical of the police, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson yesterday asserted that his Government will not "condone the wanton and excessive use of force against law abiding citizens" despite the difficult job facing the security forces in carrying out their duties.
Mr. Patterson, who returned to the island yesterday from a trip to Washington, said the "police has a special obligation to ensure the restoration of healthy relations with the residents of Flankers," even as he called for restraint by protesters.
He also promised 'transparent justice without delay'.
The community erupted again yesterday after a one-day lull. The renewed confrontations with the police saw three of the lawmen injured by stone-throwers.
As the tensions rose, information surfaced that National Security Minister, Peter Phillips, had cut short a meeting with the Organisation of American States, and will return to the island to meet today with residents of Flankers on their home turf.
He will also be meeting separately with business leaders in Montego Bay.
PM Patterson said Police Commissioner Francis Forbes would accompany Phillips into the community "to continue the process of dialogue, support and healing."
Last night, Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, issued his own statement condemning the "cowboy" approach to crime fighting which he charges has been a feature of policing under the current administration.
OUTRAGEOUS ACTS
"The Government cannot any longer overlook the outrageous acts of those trigger-happy members of the Police Force whose acts have given Jamaica a reputation of brutality," said Mr. Seaga.
Both men expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
Human rights activists, Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), in condemning the incident, demanded of Police Commissioner Forbes that he acts expeditiously to commit the resources for the investigation. the JFJ said the Commissioner must admit, at the very least, that "a horrific mistake was made."
As the community continued to protest the Saturday morning controversial shootings of two elderly residents, Cecil Brown and David Bacchas, and injury to a woman, police also detained 22 persons.
Superintendent Newton Amos, head of the St. James Police Division, who was on location in Flankers all day yesterday, has levelled charges that the mass protests yesterday were organised, and lacked the spontaneity of the weekend's civil unrest.
"We are of the belief, and from information and the presence of certain people, it is a clear indication that it is organised, and that they intend to sustain this. We are here to ensure that this does not happen," said Supt. Amos.
"If they block the road and we tell them to move and they do not move, we will have to use the methods that will allow them to move forcibly."
He said late yesterday that the unrest had been brought under control and both police and soldiers would be maintaining a "strong presence in the area" in the days and nights ahead.
