Barrington Flemming
Staff Reporter
- Man killed by the police
The parish of St. James recorded its second murder since the State of Public Emergency was declared on January 18, when gunmen pounced in the community of Cool Water, Spring Mount, snuffing out the life of 37-year-old Detroy Johnson, otherwise called ‘Ritchie’.
Information gleaned by the Western Mirror indicates that about 1:30 a.m., Johnson was at home when he was awakened by a knock on the door.
He answered and two men dressed in blue denim and armed with firearms entered the house and went to his room, where they shot him several times.
The police were summoned and, on their arrival, they found Johnson’s bullet-riddled body in his room.
He was later transported to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Johnson’s death takes the murder tally in the parish since the start of the year to 14.
Meanwhile, a blazing gun battle between the police and a man along Great George Street in Westmoreland on Saturday has left the man dead.
Dead is 28-year-old Errol Cunningham, otherwise called ‘McCries’ of New Market Oval in the parish.
One 9mm Taurus Pro Pistol containing six 9mm rounds of ammunition was seized during the incident. The matter was reported to the Independent Commission of Investigation and the Inspectorate of the Constabulary.
And, the police were again kept busy on Sunday when they were called to a murder scene at Strathbogie in the parish.
The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Romaine Edwards of a Strathbogie address.
Reports are that about 9:15 p.m., Edwards was riding his motorcycle in the community when he came under heavy gunfire from unknown assailants.
Residents who heard the gunfire summoned the police, who upon their arrival, saw Edwards lying in a pool of blood with multiple gunshot wounds.
He was subsequently taken to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Edwards’ death sees the spike in murders in Westmoreland moving to 23 since the start of the year.