Celia Morgan, Gleaner WriterFIVE MEMBERS of the Jamaica Constabulary Force have been taken off front-line duty following Thursday's fatal shooting of 19-year-old Leon Johnson of Warrendar Place in Hermitage, St. Andrew.
The group consists of a sergeant, a corporal and three constables.
Superintendent Gladstone Wright of the St. Andrew Central Police told The Gleaner that the firearms which were in the possession of the policemen at the time of the incident have also been taken for ballistic testing and the hands of the policemen swabbed.
Mr. Johnson's death sparked protest action from residents of Hermitage and August Town who yesterday marched from Hermitage to the Police Commissioner's Office to express their anger at the killing.
However, the just over 50 residents were not allowed to congregate less than 200 metres from the Commissioner's Office and so took up their position at the intersection of Munroe and Old Hope roads where they were addressed by the Commissioner's representatives.
Five of the residents, along with Mr. Johnson's mother Marie Lyndsay, were addressed at the Commissioner's Office by Acting Assistant Commissioner Owen Ellington.
Miss Lyndsay who is disabled, having lost both legs, told The Gleaner that her son was her only source of support.
And the residents who had earlier staged roadblocks in the Hermitage community disputed the police's version of the incident.
According to police reports, about 5:15 p.m. Thursday, members of a police party were on patrol in the August Town area when on reaching Escarpment Road they were allegedly fired on by a group of gunmen.
The police said they returned the fire and the men ran.
Following a search of the area Mr. Johnson's body was found with gunshot wounds.
The police had also indicated that police personnel were searching for a man who was wanted on criminal charges but later escaped.
But the residents are claiming that no shoot-out took place.
According to them Mr. Johnson was killed in cold blood.
Meanwhile Superintendent Wright said a meeting was held with residents in the community yesterday afternoon where they were assured that an impartial investigation of the incident would be conducted.
He told The Gleaner that a number of statements from residents have so far been collected by the Bureau of Special Investigation (BSI).
Head of the BSI, Assistant Commissioner Granville Gause has asked that persons who may have witnessed the incident call him at 990-2091 or the BSI's office at 922-7277.
