INDECOM probing shooting of ‘mad man’

The St Thomas police have come under fire following a shooting incident involving a person said to be of unsound mind.

Reports from the police are that on September 3, the man threw stones at the Morant Bay Police Station, damaging the property.

The police said after attempts to apprehend him proved fruitless, he was shot in his leg and later taken to the hospital for treatment.

As footage of the incident flooded social media, members of the public have expressed outrage at the treatment meted out to the man they identified only as Kapoochie.

Equally distressed is mental illness advocate Sean C. Harrison, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia years ago.

Harrison told THE WEEKEND STAR that although some lawmen acted professionally towards him, he too has suffered at the hands of the police.

"It happened right there at the same Morant Bay Police Station where I had gone to make a report against abuses against my person by a young man I reared in my home. The police sat with the log and as I was detailing the complaint, I realised he was not writing at all. I asked why not and he kept looking at me in silence, even though I was politely articulating my complaint," Harrison said.

He explained that though Kapoochie is liked by all, many persons are not prepared to anticipate personality changes that come with mental illness, often at inopportune or unexpected times. According to Harrison, this is where the door is opened for a number of abuses to take place.

Denyelle Anderson, senior public relations officer at the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), said that the investigation into Kapoochie's incident is still in its early stages.

"Proportionate use of force in instances involving known mentally ill persons and persons confronted who do not have weapons are issues that the Commission has reported on in previous quarterly reports to Parliament," she said. "The Commission continues to recommend the need for all officers to be equipped with less lethal weapons so that they can be better prepared to respond appropriately to situations that would not ordinarily require lethal force."