By Yolande Gyles, Staff Reporter 
THE CORONER'S Inquest into the police killing of seven men in Braeton, St. Catherine last year March, was adjourned yesterday without any testimony being heard.
The sitting, which would have been the first of the week, was postponed because a member of the 12-member jury was unable to attend. There were only two sittings scheduled for this week, yesterday's and today's but both have been cancelled as the juror has reported ill.
Last week, the inquest had only two sittings, one of them being abbreviated. On Friday, the witness, Detective Corporal McFarlane did not show, while on Thursday, a juror was unable to attend and on Wednesday of the same week the inquest sat for a little over an hour, as one of the jurors had to leave early. The only full sitting of the week was on Monday. Yesterday should have been the 100th day of sittings in the Inquest.
The Inquest is attempting to determine the circumstances under which the men were killed and whether anyone is criminally responsible for the deaths of seven young men at 1088 Fifth Seal Way, in Braeton on March 14, 2001. The seven, Andre Virgo, 20; Curtis Smith, 20; Tamayo Wilson, 20; Lancebert Clarke, 19; Dane Whyte, 19; Christopher Grant, 17 and Regan Beckford, 15, were killed by the police in a pre-dawn raid.
The Crime Management Unit led by Senior Superintendent of Police, Reneto Adams headed a police operation that went to the Fifth Seal Way home in search of someone who they said they believed was involved in a March 1, 2001 double murder at the Above Rocks Police Station.
During that incident it is alleged that Grant shot and killed Constable Dwight Gibson and retired customs officer Dennis Betton and wounded another civilian. Constable Gibson's service revolver, a .38 Smith and Wesson with serial number 2D64395 was also stolen.
According to the police when they went to the home to arrest Grant, they were met with gunfire, which they returned and the seven youths were killed. The operation ended by 5:30 that morning.
Later three of the deceased were connected to the murder of Keith Morris and a robbery of a bar and shop in Old Braeton that occurred on March 14, 2001.
However a number of residents have disputed the police claims of a shoot-out and allege that the youths were heard begging for their lives and that they were murdered.
The Braeton Inquest will resume next week Monday.
