Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
New Scotland Yard and local crime scene detectives, remove evidence from the death house in Kraal, Clarendon, where four people were fatally shot by the police. - FILE
THE JURY yesterday heard a recorded transmission in which Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams called Police Control on May 7, 2003, seeking assistance to take injured persons at Kraal, Clarendon, to hospital.
The tape of the transmission was tendered in evidence on Wednesday and was played yesterday in the Home Circuit Court.
SSP Adams and five policemen have been on trial since last week Monday for the murder of four civilians at Kraal on May 7, 2003.
The tape was played by Sergeant Granville Williams of the Police Telecommunications Division, who said in August 2003 he was requested to prepare a transcript of the report.
SSP Adams reported at 6:08 p.m. that: "All right, please note we are in Pennant, Clarendon. We have approach [sic] a house here and about eight gunmen have opened fire on us. We are in the act of now returning the fire."
DIRECTIONS GIVEN
He also asked Control at 6.15 p.m. to ask the Chapelton police to come to the location which was the road that led to the gold mine. He reported further: "Ahm ... in a shoot-out here ... Some persons have been injured seriously and we want to get them off to the hospital."
SSP Adams reported that a telescopic rifle with lens and ammunition were recovered and that they were further searching the premises. He was also heard again reporting that gunmen were injured and asking if the police unit had left from Chapleton.
When Police Control told him that units from Chapelton were in the area saying they could not locate him, SSP Adams said "if they cannot find me, if I am on the road that leads to the gold mine in their area, it's a sad day for them, madam."
SSP Adams reported at 7.08 p.m. that a Taurus 9 mm pistol had been recovered along with magazine and ammunition and he would "soon afford the serial number." He reported to Police Control at 7.44 p.m. that "as close as Chapleton is, police hasn't arrived yet."
The sheets which Superintendent Ezra Stewart took from the house at Kraal and other items of clothing were admitted in evidence. On being asked to open them to show the jury, he pointed out that they were in plastic bags which were labelled "health hazard". Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe then said that he was not going to allow any package so labelled to be opened in court.
