Rodwell Ferguson Demands Justice for Farmer Shot by Police

A quiet moment of rest on a Pomona Village farm ended in gunfire, injury, and a call for answers. A forty-six-year-old cattle farmer says he was approached by three armed men in civilian clothing and, believing he was under attack, ran for cover. He was shot in the knee before, he says, the men identified themselves as police officers. His dog was also killed during the exchange. Now, Agriculture Minister Rodwell Ferguson is calling for a full investigation, saying the farmer has been discharged from the hospital but is facing a difficult recovery.

 

On the Phone: Rodwell Ferguson, Area Representative, Stann Creek West

“He had no clue that they were police officers. And so Mr. Cal now is in a financial situation where he was admitted to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, innocently now he has a bill to pay the hospital because they went to his farm and literally wanted to kill him apparently and fire shot at him. So I’m hoping that everything goes well. He already got his attorney. He went to the police station, according to him yesterday and made his statement. And today I think they arrested him, but was released right away after his attorney called them. So I don’t know, I don’t know what will be the end result. I’m hoping that justice be served and the true story comes out to let us know exactly what transpired that afternoon on Mr. Cal’s farm. But I believe what he’s telling me, that he was very innocent. If they had told him, “I come to your farm to look for X, Y, and Z.” I sure he would have told me that. But all weh the person say, “Hands up”? And he described hands up. I don’t know these guys. They came in short pants and cap. Nobody was in police uniform, so he got very scared.”

 

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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