Alleged police killing sparks INDECOM review of unsolved homicides
ANUMBER of unsolved homicides are now being reviewed by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) in the wake of allegations that three cops were behind Sunday’s shooting death of a businessman, which triggered a wild, high-speed chase and gunfight through the streets of the Old Capital.
One of the cases on INDECOM’s radar, Assistant Commissioner Hamish Campbell has confirmed, is the October 2017 shooting death of reputed “don of dons” Valbert Harley, popularly called
‘Waldie’.
The disclosure comes as the security forces oversight body confirmed that the Nissan motor car in which the policemen were travelling on the night of the attack, as well as the five guns found after the smoke cleared, belonged to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
A police vehicle logbook, a blue detachable emergency light used by the police, and two sets of licence plates were also found in the car.
“Part of INDECOM’s enquiry is to have a full account of the weapons found in the car,” Campbell said.
The results of the ballistic tests, he told The Gleaner, will be matched against INDECOM’s database of unsolved cases.
“There will be some enquiries where we will go back and ask that the test results from these weapons be matched against other scenes,” he said. “We will be making a specific check on a number of cases.”
‘Waldie’ was shot and killed along Mountain View Avenue in October 2017, hours after he appeared before the Home Circuit Court on a charge of murder. Reports suggest that he was shot by men travelling in a car that pulled up behind the vehicle in which he was a passenger.
COP LINK DENIED
Campbell confirmed that INDECOM conducted an investigation into the killing amid reports that members of the JCF may have been responsible.
The JCF released a statement at the time, refuting claims that police personnel were behind the killing, and Campbell said the case was closed because INDECOM was “unable to find any evidence to show that”.
“We will certainly review it (Waldie case) if the weapons [found in the Nissan] were found to match that,” the INDECOM second in command said.
It is alleged that last weekend, St Catherine businessman Sheldon ‘Junior Biggs’ Daley was shot to death by the three policemen during a party at Chedwin Park, located on the outskirts of Spanish Town.
According to reports, the three cops attempted to flee the scene in the Nissan motor car and were challenged by an offduty colleague who witnessed the incident. A high-speed chase and gun battle ensued before the Nissan crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of Brunswick Avenue and Job Lane.
When the dust cleared, one of the three policemen, Corporal Rohan Williams, who was assigned to the Mobile Reserve Division, and a passenger in the other vehicle, identified as Kevron Burrell, were found dead.
Yesterday, INDECOM confirmed that after the crash, “further shots were discharged by police officers”, but said that the full facts are being investigated.
Another policeman is now in custody while the third cop, identified as Corporal Kirk Frazer, was still on the run up to late yesterday.