Papine Market Manager Killed as INDECOM Probes Police Shooting Near Hope Gardens

Investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) were, up to last night, examining the police shooting of an alleged gunman accused of killing the manager of Papine Market in St Andrew on Friday afternoon.

The market manager has been named as Colleen Bernard, who worked with the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

According to reports, sometime after 3:30 p.m., Bernard was in the Papine Market when a gunman attacked and shot her. The violence caused shoppers, vendors and people moving through the busy commercial area to run for safety as gunshots erupted.

The Gleaner understands that vendors and onlookers cried in the market as Bernard’s body remained there with a bloody injury to her head. Vendors also raised concerns about security.

It is understood that as the attacker tried to escape, a policeman nearby, who had heard the blasts, saw a man leaving the market with a firearm. The officer reportedly gave chase, and the pursuit developed into an exchange of gunfire along parts of Old Hope Road.

The alleged attacker was wounded near Hope Gardens during the confrontation, prompting a large police operation. Police later blocked off areas around Old Hope Road, Papine Market and the entrance to Hope Gardens, which caused heavy traffic and lengthy delays for motorists during the evening peak.

Investigators reportedly recovered a firearm at the scene.

Bernard and the injured alleged gunman were both taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies. Bernard was pronounced dead, while up to press time the gunman, who arrived at Accident and Emergency struggling to breathe, remained in surgery.

The killing has shaken the Papine community, along with vendors and other people connected to the market. Several persons voiced alarm over the boldness of the attack in such a crowded public area.

The St Andrew Central police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Jamaica Constabulary Force data show that the St Andrew Central Police Division recorded 14 murders up to May 16 this year, compared with 15 over the same period last year. That reflects a seven per cent year-to-date decline in murders in the division.

INDECOM figures also show that, as at May 22, 133 fatalities involving members of the security forces had been recorded since the start of the year. Of that total, 18 occurred in May.