By Adrian Frater, News Editor 
Hamilton
WESTERN BUREAU:
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW and councillor for the Flankers community in St. James, Charles Sinclair, is unhappy with the protracted delay in the investigation of the October 2003 controversial police killing of two senior citizens from the community, and he is calling for the intervention of the public defender, Howard Hamilton, Q.C.
"I am calling on the public defender to assume a similar role to that which he played in the case of the July 2001 Western Kingston shooting involving members of the security forces," said Councillor Sinclair. "The families of the deceased men have been finding it difficult to cope financially because the state has deprived the families of their main breadwinners."
DAYS OF PROTEST
Sixty-five-year-old newspaper vendor, Cecil Brown, and 63-year-old taxi operator, David Bacchus, were killed on the morning of Saturday, October 25, 2003, in what the police said was a crossfire between themselves and gunmen.
However, irate residents of the community, who staged three days of protest following the shooting, strongly dispute the police's claim and accused them of cold-blooded murder.
Following the incident, in which another senior citizen Audrey Stevens was also shot and injured, the policemen involved in the shooting were removed from front-line duties and both Minister Phillips and Police Commissioner Forbes visited the area and apologised to the families of the men. Government also contributed to their funeral expenses.
However, despite a promise by former Police Commissioner Francis Forbes to have the matter investigated speedily and the subsequent involvement of investigators from Scotland Yard, England, the case has remained in limbo with the file reportedly going back and forth between the offices of the Director of Public Prosecution and the commissioner's office.
SECURE COMPENSATION
In justifying his call for the intervention of the public defender, Councillor Sinclair noted that under Section 13 of the Public Defender Act of 1999, the public defender is empowered to investigate complaints where the constitutional rights of individuals have been violated by the state or its agencies.
"I will be relying on the
intervention of the public defender, in the short term, to secure compensation for the deceased families," said Councillor Sinclair. "I am
suggesting that the government make some good faith payment immediately so as to alleviate the financial stress being
experienced by the families.
