Female cop accused of murder to face court today
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 9:59 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
The Home Circuit Court will this morning start hearing evidence in the murder trial of Constable Melissa White, who is accused of shooting to death an unarmed man seven years ago and lying about how the incident occurred.
The policewoman, who was stationed at the Cross Roads Police Station in St Andrew at the time, is to be tried on charges of murder and perverting the course of justice. The charges stem from the June 6, 2017 shooting death of 45-year-old Edwin George Brown in Cross Roads.
The main witness was initially scheduled to take the stand on Tuesday, but had a personal emergency, which resulted in the matter being delayed for today.
A seven-member jury – four men and three women – was empanelled on Monday before Justice Leighton Pusey.
The case will be prosecuted by Senior Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson and Crown Counsel Debra Bryan, while attorneys-at-law Deborah Martin and Kelly Hamilton will represent the defendant.
WITNESSES
Eighteen witnesses are to be called and, according to the judge, the trial is expected to be completed by Friday or shortly thereafter.
The shooting, which occurred at the corner of Caledonia Avenue and Old Hope Road in Cross Roads, was reportedly captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that were mounted at a nearby business place. No firearm was recovered at the scene.
According to the allegations, which were previously outlined, Brown appeared to have stolen a bottle of oil from a supermarket in the Cross Roads area and was running from the store.
White then used her motor vehicle to block his path, causing him to lean against the passenger door with his hands held above his head.
It is reported that several shots were fired and the man fell to the ground.
White, it is alleged, exited the vehicle and looked at Brown’s body before getting back in the vehicle and driving away.
Following an investigation by the Independent Commission of Investigations, White was arrested and charged.
The commission’s investigation revealed that the policewoman’s account was incongruous with CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts.