Police Kill Artiste at Party

Cold-Blooded Killing

Ramando Brown

Residents in the community of Charles Town in St Mary are expressing anger at what they describe as the cold-blooded killing of a man by police at a party in the area early Thursday morning.

The deceased has been identified as 29-year-old Ramando Brown, an up-and-coming reggae artiste who went by the stage name Yo-son-Jah, of Charles Town, St Mary and Content Gardens, Ocho Rios, St Ann.

Initial police reports are that lawmen were on operation in Charles Town when they stopped at the party to speak to Brown, who brandished a knife. A confrontation reportedly developed between Brown and the officers that resulted in him being shot.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

However, residents, along with some relatives of Brown, have given another version of the incident. The residents, who staged a protest in the Charles Town area on Thursday morning to vent their anger, claimed that Brown was in an argument with another man when a police officer approached. Brown reportedly pulled a knife, and refused the cop's instruction to drop the weapon, resulting in him being shot dead by the officer.

Unconfirmed reports are that the police officer then left the scene.

The police managed to clear the subsequent roadblocks in the area on Thursday and tried to restore calm to the residents. They assured residents and relatives that the relevant investigations will be carried out to determine the facts in the case.

Meanwhile, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has taken an interest into the matter.

The incident comes just six months after the shooting death of another Charles Town native by the police at a party in Trinity, Port Maria. In that incident, 31-year-old Kriston Pearson, alias Instaboss was shot and killed, allegedly over a woman by a police officer, who has since fled the island.

Ironically, Ramando Brown was shot and killed at a party held in the honour of Pearson, who celebrated his 32nd birthday on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, it understood that Brown’s family will be consulting with their attorney on a way forward in light of his killing.