(RealNews)What some residents view as the Police’s “reckless” discharge of
rubber bullets and live rounds in the heart of the city, last week,
reportedly almost injured a motorist.
In a widely circulated video, police officers are seen attempting to
subdue a young man with mental challenges, last Thursday, August 31.
In the process, an officer discharges a firearm in the midst of
moving traffic and pedestrians, many of whom had to run out of the
way.
The officer was shooting at Rashawn Shabazz, who reportedly had
been throwing stones and being a nuisance to persons in the Perry
Bay area, while being armed with a knife.
Now, REAL News has received information that a 60-year-old All
Saints man was nearly injured during the incident, and he has made
a complaint to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
It is alleged that the left side mirror of his Hyundai vehicle was
struck by a stray bullet during the police operation on Lower Vivian
Richards Street near the Bridge Service Station.
A source says the man was fortunate that the bullet damaged only
his vehicle and did not strike him. And she accuses the police officer
of having been irresponsible as he tried to subdue the suspect, since
other persons could have been seriously injured.
Even if the suspect had been deemed a threat to the public, the
source says, discharging live rounds in a public space is dangerous.
Further, she says, at the time he was shot, the mentally challenged
man was running away, after having already struck the officer with a
stone.
This incident occurred at about 11:35 a.m. on the day in question.
In a related incident, the mother of Rashawn Shabazz, the shooting
victim, also reported to the Police that he had injured her earlier
that morning, at about 4:50 a.m.
The woman, a resident of No. 2 George Street, is alleged to have
telephoned the Grays Farm Police Station and complained that
Shabazz had wounded her.
Officers reportedly went to the home, where the woman told them
that her son had thrown a stone through her bedroom window and
it had struck her at the back of the head.
She was reportedly instructed, by the officers, to seek medical
attention for her injury.
The officers also made observations of the damaged window and
noted that two panes of louvre glass had been broken by the stone.
A search reportedly was conducted for Shabazz, but he was
nowhere to be found – until later that morning, when he was
confronted and shot by the Police after menacing people in the Perry
Bay area.
Shabazz was shot in the lower abdominal area and has lost a kidney,
which was damaged by a bullet. He remains a patient in stable
condition at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.
