Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer
Superintendent Kenneth Wade (right), head of the St. Catherine North Police Division, converses with Paulette Jones, mother of slain teenager, Tareq Jones. Tareq was killed by the police, Tuesday night.- CONTRIBUTED
SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:
SCORES OF residents of Corletts Road, St. Catherine, blocked the Spanish Town bypass, yesterday to protest the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy from their community who they claimed was shot by the police in cold blood. The dead youth has been identified as Tareq Jones of Corletts Road.
Reports reaching The Gleaner are that about 10:30 Tuesday night, a group of men, including a well-known policeman, was at Corletts Road after returning from catching crabs in the Hellshire area.
One of the men reportedly kicked a bag containing crabs that belonged to the policeman. According to residents, the policeman then pulled his gun and fired a shot at the man. The bullet missed and caught Tareq, who was standing nearby. The residents claimed that having mistakenly shot Tareq, the policeman then proceeded to shoot him several more times. Tareq died later at the Spanish Town Hospital.
As news of his death spread, residents converged on the Spanish Town bypass in the vicinity of the Corletts Road intersection. They used their bodies, old cars and other debris to block the road.
When The Gleaner visited the scene at 5:30 yesterday morning, the residents were still out in their numbers, under the watchful eyes of the police.
DIFFERING STORIES
The mother of the deceased, Paulette Jones, described her son as 'very mannerly' and as an obedient child who loved football. "Him play fi Rivoli (football club) and him did have a match today (yesterday) and see it deh now, him nah go play cause him dead," she said, with tears streaming down her face.
However, the police's version of the story differs significantly from that of the residents. When The Gleaner visited the Spanish Town Police Station yesterday, an officer on duty said the policeman who had gone to the Corletts Road area about 11:00 p.m. had an altercation with a man known only as 'Vicious', who threatened to shoot him. Vicious left and returned a short while later with four other men, one of whom drew a handgun from his waistband. The officer on duty said it was at this stage that the policeman started firing. He then ran to the Spanish Town Police Station where the reported the matter.
After receiving the report, a police party went to the area and was greeted by heavy gunfire. The fire was returned and the police had to call for assistance before they were able to leave the area. The police claim that they then proceeded to the Spanish Town Hospital where Tareq, who was left there by men from the area, later died while undergoing treatment.
The Bureau of Special Investigation is investigating the matter.
