Man Shot Dead by Police in Denham Town; Residents Block Roads in Protest
Residents of Denham Town protested Thursday after police fatally shot 34-year-old Nicholas Miller. Officers say the shooting followed an armed robbery pursuit on Spanish Town Road.
Police and residents clash over fatal Denham Town shooting
Jamaicaobserver.com reports that Kingston police are disputing the community's account of a fatal shooting on Wellington Street in Denham Town that left one man dead on Wednesday.
Residents took to the streets Thursday morning, blocking roads in protest over the killing of 34-year-old Nicholas Miller, whom they described as an innocent victim of a 'cold-blooded' murder. Police, however, say the incident arose from the pursuit of armed robbery suspects.
"The incident emanated from a pursuit where a motor vehicle with men armed with guns was involved in a robbery along Spanish Town Road," said Senior Superintendent Michael Phipps, head of the Kingston Western police division. "Officers on patrol in the Denham Town community spotted the vehicle and gave chase, during which men alighted and opened fire at the police."
Phipps said officers returned fire and, after the shooting subsided, found one man with what appeared to be gunshot injuries. The vehicle allegedly used in the robbery, along with items reportedly stolen, were seized at the scene on Wellington Street.
No firearms were recovered at the location of the shooting, the police confirmed.
SSP Phipps declined to directly address the residents' version of events but acknowledged the conflicting accounts. He said the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has since launched a probe into the incident.
"We realise that they are disputing the account of our police officers. We have engaged the services of INDECOM and they are here doing their investigations, and we are cooperating fully with them," Phipps said.
The senior officer also disclosed that Miller had been reporting to the Denham Town Police Station on bail in connection with a separate murder charge. As part of that bail arrangement, police officers visited his home regularly to confirm he remained within the permitted boundaries.
INDECOM's investigation is ongoing.
Source: Google News JM — Crime