Cotton Tree Resident, Akeem Jones, Says Police Shot Him

And in another matter tonight, a Cotton Tree resident is speaking out after he says a police officer shot him while chasing someone else. Thirty‑two‑year‑old Akeem Jones claims the officer fired from behind, hitting him in the arm and leaving him unable to work for the next two months. Jones insists he has no run‑ins with the law and believes the shooting had nothing to do with him, yet he says the officer begged him not to press charges and even offered his brother “a run” moments after pulling the trigger.

 

Voice of: Akeem Jones, Shooting Victim

“It has to be from back on this man shot me, because this is the exit wound. I have my doctor papers for this.”

 

On the Phone: Akeem Jones, Shooting Victim

“We the out deh, me and my little brother. Now, the police vehicle the come. So, my little brother run gone. But I have nothing with no police. I nuh the tek up for nobody. So, I stayed there and they never caught him. So now, Chavez come back and he told me I will shoot one ah unu breda. So when I turn my back this man just shoot me fam. You understand, this man shoot me from backway. So, I the wonder, police nuh supposed to protect and serve? I the wonder what the go on with deh people deh. We fraid fih police now. We cant run to them.”

 

Paul Lopez

“You think it is an accident?”

 

On the Phone: Akeem Jones

“No sir, it is not an accident. This man deliberately shoot me family. Family, ih nervous fam and then he dash me in the back of the pickup the tell me, please nuh press no charges, that he will give my lee breda ah run, because it look like my breda have something for them. So, he tell me if I drop this shooting incident he will drop my lee breda case, family this man the blackmail me what kind of thing that? Family, I would want court action, because I live by myself and not even could work right now. The nurse done tell me I have to live two months home family. How will I eat? You understand, and then me nuh have no charge sheet, I am a good citizen. I am not no criminal. That is what I was telling him, look up my file breda, you nuh wah find anything on me there.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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