October 17, 2001
JAMAICANS UNITED AGAINST
POLICE BRUTALITY
The Gleaner report said that a team of policemen from the Crime Management Unit (CMU) and the Special Anti-Crime Task Force (SACTF) swooped down on a group of men inside the compound of the Jose Marti Technical High School. The police team, led by Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams, was acting on "information" that the men had planned to rob the school's Bursar and the contractor who was doing construction work at the school. The above being the peculiar details of the story what subsequently transpired has been played out almost exactly over the past twenty five years. On the approach of the police the men opened fire. The police returned fire and after the dust had settled one man, Michie Evans, was critically wounded. The police allegation, according to the Gleaner is that Evans ran from a car and dashed under a cellar where he was later found with bullet wounds." One man was arrested and a third was detained in connection with "several murders." A number of other men "seen on the school compound were also detained and processed at the Central Village Police Station." The Jamaican media as is customary did no follow up to what is the customary practice to give the police version of events as fact. On investigation we discovered that the men were in fact employed at Jose Marti. Payday was two days away making the so-called plan to rob the Bursar or Contractor quite ridiculous. Superintendent Adams and his men did swoop down on the site firing away with their guns as they approached. Evans took cover under the cellar and a couple of Adams men blasted him away with high-powered weapons. The rest of the men were beaten and made to lie on the ground for a considerable period of time in the hot sun. One man was beaten almost to death. Adams gave the police orders to "mash-up" Herman Tulloch one of the men whose name was reported by the media as one of the foiled robbers. As one of Adams' men was about to carry out the execution Tulloch appealed to another senior officer, Pusey, to save his life. Pusey ordered him back into the police truck but not before mocking him for going on like a "baby." After being processed at a nearby police station it was discovered that none of the men had previous records. Tulloch, on Adams' instructions, was to have been charged with multiple counts of murder. But after spending nearly four days in lockup he was released because no charges were brought against him. Also not charged was the man who was severely beaten. Fearing that he might die in police lockup he was released near his home. In light of the call for the disbandment of death squads like the CMU and the SACTF by former People's National Party minister D.K. Duncan, Police Commissioner Francis Forbes defended the CMU because he claimed that it had reduced car-jackings and middle class ladies were feeling safer. A rather spurious argument but typical of the irresponsible way in which Forbes has managed the police force and his indifference to police brutality. At a time when political and gang violence is on the rise there is almost a desperate need among Jamaicans for protection against the scourge. However, turning to the police is not a serious option because they inspire little confidence. As demonstrated by the example of Adams and the CMU the police rarely engage gunmen. Those gunmen whom they claim to kill are mostly unarmed inner-city youth. As for stopping the illegal inflow of guns the police have demonstrated little of the intelligence capabilities to have any impact on the inflow. In addition, inner city residents often accuse them of being in league with the gunmen that are creating havoc. Finally, unable or unwilling to professionalize the police force and to enforce respect for basic human rights, the political directorate may be said to be lending legitimacy to a widespread view among the people that only the most radical of measures will solve the problem. Perhaps unwittingly as well, they may also be exposing themselves to questions about their own legitimacy. Lloyd D'Aguilar
Click here to return to Jamaicans United Against Police Brutality homepage. |