Fisherman charged following deadly Trelawny shootout

A Trelawny man is facing firearm-related charges arising from an incident in the parish on the weekend in which three men were reportedly shot and killed after they fired on a police-military team.

Owen Hines, 38, a fisherman from Hague Settlement, where the killings occurred, was charged Tuesday with illegal possession of firearm and shooting with intent, his attorney Donovan Collins confirmed. 

But Collins says there are over 25 witnesses who can confirm that Hines was never in possession of a gun and "did not fire at anybody".

"Based on my instructions and investigation, the police took about 75 people from the party to the Falmouth Police Station," the attorney told The Gleaner during an interview on Wednesday.

"It will be very interesting to see what the police put on paper to try and prove their case against my client," he added.

The police report that members of the security forces were conducting an operation at an illegal party in the community about 2 a.m. Saturday when they were shot at by a group of men at the venue.

The three men were killed after members of the police-military team took evasive action and returned fire, according to the police report.

The incident is being investigated by the Independent Commission of Investigations, the agency that has oversight responsibility for the security forces.

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