Howard Campbell, Gleaner WriterONE YEAR after the shocking murders f three policemen in Kingston, their killers are still at large. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mark Shields has advised The Sunday Gleaner that tracking the suspects has been "highly frustrating."
"It's not a dead investigation. We have been able to identify the suspects and they have been named," reported DCP Shields. "The investigation has taken more time than I would like but so far they have eluded arrest."
The suspects have been identified by the police by their aliases: 'Nunu Puss', 'Harry Dog' and 'Itis', all of west Kingston. They are wanted for the murders of Corporal Hewitt Chandler, District Constable Canute Brown and Inspector Lascelles Walsh.
"I consider that these men are still in the Kingston area but I can't say anything more on that at the moment," said DCP Shields.
Cpl. Chandler was assigned to the Protective Services Division at the Office of the Prime Minister. The 28-year member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), was murdered by two gunmen on a motorcycle while he was driving at the intersection of Waterloo and Trafalgar roads on the evening of May 3.
The gunmen were shot and killed shortly after by a security patrol.
POLICE STATION ATTACKED
DC Brown and Inspector Walsh were murdered within half an hour the next morning. Mr. Brown, who served the JCF for over 30 years, was killed when gunmen attacked the Cross Roads Police Station where he was stationed.
Inspector Walsh, 44, was a senior member of the Traffic Department who joined the JCF in 1981. He was killed as he rode his motorcycle along Tower Street. He had been in the JCF for 24 years. The three JCF
veterans lost their lives in the space of nine hours.
On the evening of May 4 last year, DCP Shields pointed to west Kingston as the source of the attacks which the police believe was triggered by the killing of Donovan 'Zion Train' Griffiths one month earlier. Griffiths was a popular figure in west Kingston.
Police investigations also revealed that Christopher 'Chris Royal' Coke one of Cpl. Chandler's suspected killers, was a brother of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, the reputed community leader of west Kingston. At the time, DCP Shields said the police would launch a comprehensive search of west Kingston for the alleged murderers, but that operation did not come until October 4, when a joint police/ military offence swooped down on the constituency.
CONTROVERSIAL OPERATION
Four residents were shot and injured during the controversial operation which failed to capture any of the suspects. Forty persons were arrested, including Coke and Justin O'Gilvie, another prominent west Kingston personality. They were later released.
The 'invasion' angered several organisations and persons including Member of Parliament Bruce Golding, who said it was unjustified. DCP Shields says he is weary of talk that west Kingston has been the subject of similar 'raids'.
However, he says that has not stopped the police from entering the area and searching for criminals.
"We are not concerned about that (criticisms from politicians) and we have conducted a number of smaller operations since then," said DCP Shields. "No one is going to stop us from going anywhere to make investigations."
