- Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
This little girl from the Denham Town community of Albert Street in West Kingston takes a close look at the weapon of a soldier who was on patrol in her community yesterday.
Damion Mitchell, Staff Reporter
THE DENHAM Town community in West Kingston was calm yesterday following Friday's two-hour gun battle between the police and gunmen.
The disturbance began after a 15-year-old student of the Denham Town High School who had gone for lunch, was shot and injured allegedly by a policeman.
Judith Lee-Shue, mother of the wounded schoolboy, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday that her son was shot at the left side of his head but the bullet exited through his forehead.
"I am just trying to hold on because somebody has to hold on for him," said Lee-Shue, the mother of three adding that "I am only hoping for the best."
During the crossfire Kirk Duffus, 32, of Milk Lane was shot and killed and a Jamaica Defence Force soldier injured.
When a Sunday Gleaner team visited the community yesterday, police and soldiers, armed with high-powered guns were on patrol.
"We (the police) are maintaining presence in the community and we have been speaking with some influential persons such as the Member of Parliament to assist with maintaining the peace in the area," said Deputy Superintendent Gary Griffiths of the Denham Town Police Station.
He said, however, that while the shooting incident was unfortunate, he did not expect that it would erode the partnership that was being created between the community and the police. "We will have to reconcile," he said.
In the meantime the Bureau of Special Investigation has commenced its investigation into the incident and the policeman implicated in the shooting of the schoolboy has been transferred.
According to the police, members of a patrol team were on their way to the Admiral Town Police Station about 11:30 a.m. on Friday when they accosted a group of men along Albert Street. A shoot-out reportedly ensued and the schoolboy was caught in the crossfire.
But residents claimed that a policeman, who was known to the community, attempted to enter a yard, but the gate was locked. It is alleged that the lawman then pointed his gun over the gate and fired several shots, hitting the teenager in the head.
During the resulting protest angry residents set a police vehicle and a Jamaica Defence Force jeep on fire. The Denham Town Police Station was also stoned by the protesters.
