Probe launched after US citizen shot dead by cops near SIA’s fuel storage area

Western Bureau:

Up to late yesterday afternoon, the Jamaica Constable Force (JCF) had yet to release an official statement on the incident in which an American citizen was shot at a sensitive area of the Sangster International Airport (SIA) and later died at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, St James. 

A source, who alerted The Gleaner to the incident shortly after the shooting, said the man, who travelled to Jamaica on Thursday on an American passport, was seen in the vicinity of a fuel storage area at the airport shortly after 2:00 a.m. on Friday and the police were alerted.  

It was further revealed that when the police tried to apprehend the man, he became aggressive and, during a tussle, he was shot. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“He was seen in an area that is considered quite sensitive as it is basically the loading bay for the refuelling of aircraft,” the source told The Gleaner. “It is a place that is off-limits to the average airport worker.”

While the JCF did not release a public statement on the incident, a police source told The Gleaner that the investigations are taking place at the highest level, as what unfolded had serious implications for security at the airport, which must meet certain requirements to be certified as being safe.

While efforts to contact Transport Minister Daryl Vaz were unsuccessful, in a social media post, he challenged the accuracy of the online report on the incident as first carried by The Gleaner. 

“There was no breach of Sangster International Airport… The report is inaccurate. The incident occurred near the road leading to Cargo, and did not involve a security breach of the terminal building… The JCF is investigating the incident, and we are awaiting further investigation.”

Vaz’s comments appear to have referenced commentary on social media regarding the terminal building being breached, and not the content of the Gleaner report. 

While INDECOM has not released an official statement on their investigation, The Gleaner was reliably informed that a team from the investigative body visited the location of the incident and confirmed that the deceased man is an American.

While it was not clear whether the police personnel at the location were using body-worn cameras (BWCs), the incident sparked fresh debate on social media on the importance of BWCs to ensure unbiased accounts of incidents involving law enforcement when they take place.

“We don’t believe the Jamaican police. We need to see the actual footage. Where are the body cameras?” wrote one person.

In a media release shortly before 8:00 p.m. yesterday, MBJ Airport Limited, the operators of SIA, acknowledged the incident but stated that, contrary to the suggestions being made on social media, it did not involve a breach of the terminal area.

“We wish to clarify that the incident did not occur at the passenger terminal, nor did it involve a breach of the terminal building. The incident took place on the road leading to the cargo and fuel facility areas, which are geographically removed from the passenger terminal. There was no disruption to passenger operations or airport services,” the statement read.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com