INDECOM appeals for information on police shooting of taxi operator in HWT
Published:Friday | February 23, 2024 | 4:35 PM
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is appealing to any passenger who may have been in the vehicle driven by a taxi operator who was shot and injured in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, on Friday morning to contact its offices.
INDECOM is investigating the incident which took place about 7:15 a.m. A policeman was also reportedly injured during the incident.
INDECOM says the shooting was initially believed to be a discharge of firearm incident, but was subsequently reported as a shooting injury after a man turned up at hospital with a gunshot injury.
It says DNA testing will be used to confirm the identity of the taxi driver and his link to the incident scene.
"INDECOM is appealing to any passenger who may have been in the vehicle or in close proximity to the incident, to contact the office of the Commission at 876-968-1932," the commission further states.
It says information gathering is a critical aspect of an investigative process and where photos, videos or information is available in incidents involving members of the security forces, they should be made available and shared with INDECOM.
INDECOM says its information is that police personnel were conducting traffic enforcement duties when the taxi driver was signalled to stop.
It is alleged that the driver disobeyed the instructions of a policeman which later led to the officer discharging his weapon, and the officer sustaining an injury, for which he sought medical treatment.
The incident scene was examined by INDECOM's forensics personnel and evidence recovered, processed and packaged. The vehicle driven by the taxi driver was also recovered and processed at another location, as the driver left the scene of the incident.
INDECOM says during processing, damage was observed to the windscreen of the vehicle.
The concerned policeman did not provide an initial account to the INDECOM team as he was being treated for his injury.
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