CASE OF POLICE WHO WAS SHOT IN A BAR REOPENED

Dead cop’s case reopens

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has reopened the probe into the shooting death of a young policeman by his Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) colleague, which occurred on April 4, 2015, in the western town of Hopewell, Hanover.

Commissioner of INDECOM Terrence Williams confirmed the reopening of the investigation in a letter to attorney-at-law Peter Champagnie, who has been retained by the family of the slain policeman to handle the matter.

Champagnie had written to Williams on May 11 of this year, asking that he again turn the key that the attorney believes could open some doors into circumstances that led to the shooting death of Constable K’mar Beckford. The law enforcer was shot 13 times by a senior colleague — Inspector Wayne Jacobs — who told investigators that Beckford was trying to rob a bar when he shot him, a story that has not been accepted by the deceased man’s family, friends, and some colleagues in the JCF.

In his letter to Williams, a copy of which was seen by the Jamaica Observer, Champagnie, a popular and prominent attorney-at-law, stated that:

“The parents of the late Constable K’ Mar Beckford has retained my services for you to review the circumstances under which their son was shot and killed by a police officer; Inspector Wayne Jacobs of the then Trelawny Division.

“I have been advised by my clients that your office through your local agents in that area conducted an enquiry into this matter and may have deemed it a justifiable homicide. My clients are of the view that there may have been collusion on the part of other investigative arms and persons with their own interest to see to it that your findings were as they were.

“In the circumstances, I am requesting if you could kindly reopen this matter bearing in mind what I have already stated and also the contents of a letter from my client dated August 8, 2016 which I now enclose herewith.

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“My clients are of the view that their son was in fact murdered and would wish for you to re-examine this matter thoroughly,” Champagnie wrote.

In a response six days later, on May 19, Williams confirmed that his office would be pursuing the matter.

“Dear Mr Champagnie, reference is made to yours of the 11th instant.

“Please be advised that a team from the Commission’s Special Case Unit has been directed to reopen the investigation under the direction of the Assistant Commissioner of INDECOM, Mr Hamish Campbell,” Williams responded.

Beckford, 25 at the time, was shot 13 times while he was on sick leave. He was scheduled to return to work four days later.

The other policeman involved in the incident reported that the constable had tried to rob patrons at Lorna’s Bar and Grill, but this has been disputed by family members and other members of communities in western Jamaica who knew Beckford and who maintain that he was the victim of a conspiracy and was killed in cold blood.

Early reports said that he took $2,000 from the holdup attempt — another bit of information that has been stoutly cast aside by his family.

Although it was not stated in the INDECOM letter, one of the factors that would influence the reopening of an investigation is the availability of new information or evidence. According to a source close to the matter, the request was made to INDECOM on that basis.

At Beckford’s funeral service held at the Springfield Moravian Church in St Elizabeth north -western on May 9, 2015, some of his colleagues maintained that he was innocent, while expressing anger and disappointment that he was not afforded an “official” funeral. They also lashed the Police High Command, which was not represented at the service.

“Not even little trafficking,” one said in reference to a police escort of the funeral procession.

“The other day two drunken officers killed themselves and the commissioner sent condolences to the family. Raymond Pryce asked for prayer for the JCF. Who asked for prayer for K’Mar’s family? His mother has to band her belly and cry. It pains my heart, it burn me,” he said at the time.

Another policeman, who asked to remain anonymous, added that he too is saddened at the minimal support the JCF had shown since the incident.

“What we want is justice for Beckford. No sin will go unpunished,” another of the slain man’s colleagues said.

Seven of Beckford’s batch mates, all constables, along with a sergeant, were present at the service.

INDECOM and the Inspectorate of the Constabulary had launched investigations into the incident shortly after.

The former Rusea’s High School student was accepted into the Jamaica Police Academy in May 2009. Following his graduation in November 2009, he was assigned to the Westmoreland Police Division. He was stationed at Bethel Town in that western parish at the time of his death.

In May 2016 INDECOM concluded that Jacobs should not face criminal charges in relation to the incident.

INDECOM, however, recommended that one member of the JCF should face disciplinary action for failing to preserve the crime scene and directions issued. Among the abnormalities at the scene was the placement of a mask that Beckford was said to have worn backwards on his face and the dragging of his body from the spot where he was said to have fallen, to another location outside the bar, with blood marks along the trail clearly visible.

Beckford’s family responded to the INDECOM ruling by calling it a “travesty of justice”.

The slain man’s mother, educator Lenorah Thomas, in a letter to Williams dated May 2, 2016 questioned the then eight-year-old INDECOM and its mandate.

“We put forward to the commission that there are grounds on which to charge Inspector Jacobs… We propose to the commission that its ruling lacks credibility and was done only on the basis of a police version and statements from witnesses in support of Inspector Jacobs,” Thomas wrote on behalf of the grieving family.

“You have further arrived at your decision by failing to use the benefits of ballistic and forensic pathological analysis. Elements within the police department have corrupted the investigation and INDECOM has not done much to the credibility of investigating and detecting it. Like the police, you have not used the benefit of scientific data as well as other data to appropriately present the facts,” Thomas said in the letter, which she copied to the Commissioner of Police Dr Carl Williams, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, Chairman of the Public Services Commission Prof Gordon Shirley, head of the Inspectorate of Constabulary Assistant Commissioner Ray Palmer, Williams Campbell of the Coroner’s Office, and Jamaica Police Federation Chairman Sgt Raymond Wilson.

“In addition, we put to you that your ruling is based only on the allegations made, and that it relied on police and witness statements only. You have failed in making your decision without using scientific data relating to forensic pathology, ballistic analysis and photographic evidence to support the ruling you made. By doing so, your decision has added further failure to protect Constable Beckford’s right to the presumption of innocence as well as the right to a just, equitable and fair investigation. Was there any consideration that he has no witness in the matter to support him, or because he was successfully labelled?

“You have also accepted from Inspector Jacobs and elements within the police force a carefully designed falsehood based strongly on police squaddy-ism. The commission has ruled on an enacted crime scene relocated from outside the bar. We put to you that INDECOM acted with negligence in failing to properly investigate the matter, resulting in the kind of ruling made. We therefore intend to present our claim, and to advise you that we intend to legally fight this matter and seek redress from the institutions of justice through all channels,” Thomas wrote.