Amid the controversy swirling around the latest incident of alleged police excess in Grants Pen, St. Andrew, last Friday, Minister of National Security Derrick Smith has reiterated his government's commitment to stamping out such cases of abuse."We would like to restate the administration's demand that residents' (and) citizens' rights must be protected at all times," Mr. Smith said after a tour of the American Chamber of Commerce's facility housing the Grants Pen Police Station in the community.
Commenting on Friday's incident, in which an 18-year-old youth was killed, Smith indicated he was satisfied with the pace of the current investigation, saying it was advanced and that he expected swift action in the near future.
Disrespectful
The minister described as "disrespectful" the reported failure of the policemen implicated in the incident to contact their superiors following the incident.
"It is a most unfortunate incident and it comes against the background of a series of these types of incidents that have occurred over the last two weeks, coinciding with the advent of our new (Jamaica Labour Party) administration," the National Security Minister said.
While not giving specifics or a timeline about the establishment of an independent investigative authority to probe cases of police abuse, the minister repeated his government's commitment to creating such a body.
Police statistics indicate that 202 persons have been killed in fatal shootings by the police, since January.
Rights groups to assist family in wrongful death suitThe Independent Jamaica Council for Human Rights (IJCHR) will be assisting the family of Ravin Thompson, who was killed by the police in an alleged shootout, to file a civil suit against the Government for wrongful death.
Nancy Anderson, legal officer for the IJCHR, made the disclosure yesterday while visiting with the family.
Representatives of Amnesty International also visited the family yesterday. The group collected statements and said it would assess the case and do further investigations.
"We will also try to help the family bring a civil action and that can be done very soon and very quickly," Ms. Anderson told The Gleaner.
Gut-wrenching accounts
The groups listened to gut-wrenching accounts from the family of the events leading up to the death of the 18-year-old. According to the family, Ravin was shot in the arm by the police while standing at his aunt's gate in Whitfield Town, South West St. Andrew.
This, after the police fired indiscriminately at a man whom they were chasing in the same area on July 27. The man escaped, but Ravin lay injured at the gate.
His aunt tried to get help for him but the police offered to carry him in the police jeep to the hospital. She went into the jeep but was reportedly chased from the vehicle by the police before reaching the hospital. She said on arriving at the hospital, she saw her nephew's body in the back of the police jeep, spread-eagled and lifeless.
The autopsy report later revealed that Ravin received gunshot wounds to the hands, leg, chest and head. Both hands were fractured, his face was severely battered and his neck and ribs were broken. His aunt said he had received a single bullet wound at her gate.
Ravin's mother yesterday related the pain and sadness that she feels since the death of her son.
Intensive testing for vehicle used in fatal shooting
The St. Andrew North police sport utility vehicle which mysteriously turned up at the Police Commissioner's Old Hope Road office yesterday morning, is likely to remain much longer than expected at the Government Ballistics Laboratory.
Reports are that the vehicle, which turned up five days after the Police High Command had given instructions for it to be handed over to them, will undergo an intensive forensic investigation.
This is because of allegations that 18-year-old André Thomas of Grants Pen, St. Andrew, was picked up and murdered inside the vehicle. Further allegations are that the vehicle was later taken to a private garage where it was cleaned up.
"We suspect it was taken to a private garage where it was tampered with," said a senior investigator who spoke with The Gleaner yesterday.
Ballistics and mechanical experts will play a key role in the investigation.
