Residents of Lucky Street in Knockpatrick, Manchester, have accused members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) of killing a man from the community while he slept.
The deceased has been identified as Moses Morgan, who was employed as a farmer and a higgler. According to reports, the incident happened at approximately 6:00 pm on Wednesday.
The shooting was reported to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM). Assistant Commissioner at Indecom, Hamish Campbell, disclosed that officers at the scene observed Morgan acting suspiciously before they followed him to his house. Morgan allegedly attempted to grab one of the officer’s firearms during a scuffle after they entered his home.
“They report that they were on patrol, four officers, when they saw a man who was acting suspiciously go towards a house which turned out to be his own house. Officers went into the house and reported that there was a struggle inside the house where this man attempted to grab the rifle of one of the police officers,” Campbell shared.
The assistant commissioner went on to state that a weapon was later recovered from Morgan after he was shot.
“… In that struggle, the officers shot the man, and he was killed, and a firearm was recovered from the man in the waist of his trousers, a revolver pistol,” Campbell said.
However, Lucky Street residents have refuted the officer’s claims.
“[He] was sleeping, but the police a say a shootout. No shootout no go so,” one of Morgan’s relatives shared with the press.
Another relative shared that Morgan’s son was in the house when the incident occurred.
“Them carry him away. He did drop down out there so a [cry]… The little boy don’t have no mother and him father gone now,” the relative said.
In footage recorded at the scene, multiple officers can be seen carrying Morgan’s lifeless body and putting it in the back of their service truck.
Watch the video recorded at the scene of Morgan’s death below.