Three cops charged over fatal shooting of West Kingston man freed

Three policemen were freed on Monday in connection with the 2016 fatal shooting of a man in a yard located on Bond Street in West Kingston.

They are Corporals Rhamone Scott and Gregory South and Constable Duwayne Kelly James.

The cops were tried for the death of Jamar Walford, also called 'Shaba'. 

The judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty following no-case submissions made by the defence lawyers.

Corporal Scott was freed of murder while the other two policemen were freed of wounding charges.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) had investigated the matter. 

The prosecution led evidence at the trial in the Home Circuit Court that Walford was shot and killed near his premises at 70 Bond Street, on May 27, 2016. 

It was alleged that Walford was shot and injured when he attempted to flee. 

The prosecution presented ballistics and forensic evidence to prove its case.

Two witnesses testified that they saw several cops enter the premises and had heard explosions soon after but were unable to say which officers shot Walford. 

The policemen claimed they were acting in self-defence when Walford opened fired on them.  

A Taurus revolver and an AK47 weapon were recovered.

After the prosecution closed its case, the defence lawyers argued that the matter should be thrown out because the Crown had failed to make out a case sufficient to leave for the jury's consideration.

Scott was represented by attorney-at-law Althea Grant, South was represented by attorney-at-law Kemar Robinson, and Kelly James was represented by King's Counsel Peter Champagnie KC and attorney-at-law Samoi Campbell.

Arising from the incident, INDECOM had initially recommended that additional officers be charged with misconduct in a public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice.  

However,  the Director of Public Prosecutions had declined to act on the recommendation which resulted in it being the subject of a judicial review in 2020. 

The Judicial Review Court ruled that the Director of Public Prosecutions had properly exercised her discretion not to charge the other officers named.

- Barbara Gayle

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