Elderly Woman Shot and Killed in Trelawny, Policeman Injured

Latest Jamaica News, Trelawny (McKoy’s News): An elderly woman was shot and killed in the Wakefield police area in Trelawny on Friday night, March 13 and a police officer injured, during a controversial stand-off between residents in Hinds Crescent and the police.

The incident which led to the death of 67-year-old, Lissett Newman, who resided in the said section of the area called Hinds Crescent, or Junction, sparked a major protest on Saturday morning.

Reports by the Wakefield police are that about 10:30 p.m., a team of officers were on patrol in the community when they accosted a man and search his cell phone, and they discovered photos of him posing with an illegal firearm.

The man was taken to a premises at Hinds Crescent, which he pointed out as his home, but as the lawmen were in the process of entering the house they were blocked by an elderly woman who told them that the man was not living there.

The lawmen insisted on searching the house but instead of complying, the woman started to shout and rebuke the officers. Her actions caught the attention of other community members who quickly gathered on the scene, and reportedly attacked the police party with sticks, bottles and stones.

During the confrontation one of the officers was hit in his head with a bottle, and while running from the yard, the officers were allegedly fired upon by armed men who were hiding in bushes. They took evasive actions and returned the fire, after which they drove from the area, and transported their wounded colleague to hospital.

Sometime later residents of Hinds Crescent drove Newman to the hospital, and reported that she was shot during the confrontation. Newman died whilst being treated.

Following Newman’s death, angry community members blocked several sections of the roadway in the community using large stones, old motor vehicle, old furniture and trees trunks, and protested that she was shot by the police.

A team of Investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations are now carrying out investigations into the shooting.