Wakefield is now the scene of protest road blocks as residents vent their anger against the killing of a farmer by the police.
The usually quiet town of Wakefield has seen an upsurge of killings in the past couple years, but the latest killing has brought the town into chaos.
This time, the killing was not by criminals and the citizens are irate as they say the killing of 29-year-old tailor Jeffery Richards was cold blooded murder.
Police reports are that he was killed after wielding two machetes after police who had gone to his house to warn him. The police say Richards was issuing threats to members of the community.
According to Carlos Russell, deputy superintendent in charge of operations in the Trelawny Division, “When the police arrived there, he attacked a member of the team, wielding two machetes. The member fell to the ground and he continued to advance to the member with the machetes, and the member, in fear of his life, defended himself.”
Richards was subsequently pronounced dead at the Falmouth Hospital.
Since then, the citizens have used every means possible to block the roads, including using a barber shop. Old tyres, old cars, and other objects were also used.
One citizens claimed that Richards’ death was as the result of a love triangle: “Him (Richards) and a policeman were seeing the same woman, so we understand that the police who killed him was carrying ‘feelings’,” said the irate resident.
Family member Francis Haughton said: “We the family of Jeffery Richards need justice. The police went into his house and shot him; he didn’t do anything wrong and we are not going to stop protest until we get justice.” She also said Wakefield residents had lost trust in the police.
“Jeffery is not a wrong-doer; Jeffery is not a gunman; Jeffery has never been arrested for anything, he is innocent.”
The protests caused two schools in the area to close today. These are Muschette High and Wakefield Primary.
The citizens are not relenting, and just this afternoon, the police called in military support.
INDECOM is investigating.
Sources: The STAR and Jamaica Observer.
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