Questions are being asked of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) following a deadly motor vehicle collision…shooting…what exactly happened in Lionel Town, Clarendon on Saturday night?

The curious, controversy-filled June 12 incident has been the major talking point this weekend, as residents and police offer conflicting accounts of what took place, and the unfortunate deaths of two males and injury of six.

According to residents, who demonstrated in sections of Hayes, the Nissan AD Wagon was shot up after repeated requests for the vehicle to stop were ignored.

“A pere pickney did inna di car…nine a dem, eight as school pickney, and yuh kill off the pickney dem and plant gun pon dem?” one woman cried.

The deceased have been identified as 21-year-old Kavaughn Salmon and 17-year-old Jamoy Blair, both of Top Hill, Hayes addresses in the parish.

In a preliminary report to the media, operational head for the Clarendon Police, Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Anton-Gur Cardoza said the vehicle in question attracted suspicion after dangerous driving.

“Last night, about 8:15 [pm] the police recognised a vehicle that was travelling rather careless along the Hayes main road. Attempts were made to intercept the vehicle, however, the driver failed to stop and sped off in the direction of Lionel Town,” he began.

“The vehicle eventually crashed along a section of the road, and this resulted in two of its occupants being killed. The other occupants suffered certain injuries and some were transported to May Pen Hospital thereafter,” the senior cop added.

According to DSP Cardoza, residents staged a protest in response to the incident around 4:30 am on Sunday and proceeded to block the Hayes main road.

The police later cleared the blockade and offered assurances to enraged citizens that internal and external probes of the tragedy have commenced.

When pressed about the citizens’ claims that the vehicle was shot at, Cardoza noted, “I cannot speak to the car being shot up but I know there was an incident and as I said the occupants were injured and taken to the Lionel Town Hospital.”

This is my first issue, DSP, just seconds ago you said the occupants were transported to the May Pen Hospital. Mere moments later, Lionel Town Hospital is being mentioned.

So which is it? Were the injured brought to May Pen or Lionel Town? Are these individuals perhaps at both facilities? This is not very clear and the about-face is apparent.

The matter becomes increasingly conflicting when the JCF, in its official statement on the Lionel Town incident, confirmed a shooting and retaliatory action by its officers, while maintaining none of the occupants, injured or dead were shot.

This is also in light of amateur footage “right after” the incident, which shows armed officers slowly approaching the alleged vehicle.

While I can understand that “right after” could mean anywhere from immediately following the reported shooting to minutes later, however, at no point in the 47-second clip were gunshots heard.

According to the JCF’s report on the fatal accident, the incident took place around 8:55 pm, when officers, conducting a spot check in the area, signalled the Nissan AD Wagon driver to stop.

The order was reportedly disobeyed and the driver “sped away and eluded the police, who went in search of the vehicle.”

While searching an area of the Raymond main road in Lionel Town, the officers came upon a crash scene—a vehicle stopped in its tracks, disfigured and bent around a Jamaica Public Service (JPS) utility pole.

“On approach of the team, shots were reportedly fired at them, the officers returned fire, however, no one received gunshot injuries. When the shooting subsided, eight persons, who were identified as occupants of the car, were seen with injuries sustained from the crash; they were taken to hospital for treatment,” the JCF reported.

The JCF goes further to dismiss claims of a fatal shooting as it shared images of the ill-fated Nissan AD Wagon, in its mangled state.

From what can be seen, that much is true: no bullet holes.

Now this is all great, but as the arm of law enforcement in most contact with civilians, this report from the JCF leaves plenty unexplained:

1. If officers were shot at as they purport, there was no mention of physical evidence to back up that claim. No retrieved firearm, bullet casings (or spent shells) or residual gunpowder.

2. If then, no one present in the car fired the shots, where were they from? What became of these attackers, did they escape on foot/in nearby bushes, ect?

It is the duty of the police to provide clarity and this is an example of the JCF failing to do so, despite being given the opportunity.

The language of the report immediately contradicts the preliminary statement offered by DSP Cardoza, which begs the question, are the police telling the truth, are the residents, or can it be found halfway between the two points of contention?