Pregnant woman kicked by soldier fears for baby

Tacoma Davis says she is worried about the health of her unborn child after she was kicked in the stomach by a member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) during a heated exchange in her Denham Town community last Thursday.

To make matters worse, the 21-year-old first-time mother says that she is still struggling to find the $6,800 to do an ultrasound.

"When mi go up a Jubilee [Victoria Jubilee Hospital] dem never did a hear the baby heartbeat because the machine never did a work. So di doctor gave me a letter to take to a private doctor," said Davis. "A me first pregnancy dis. Mi worried bad and mi know it no healthy, enuh, but mi cyah help it." On Monday, Davis told THE STAR that she is still shaken up by the incident which was captured on video and posted on social media.

"Every second it flash back inna mi memory, a baay bawl mi a bawl. Nobody never yet put dem foot pon mi, worst the hottest thing mi father never yet lick me, and a man come put him foot pon mi," said the former Tivoli Gardens High School student. Davis said that the incident stemmed from an earlier dispute between a soldier and one of her cousins. Davis said that her stepfather gave her $400 so that she could buy food on Bond Street.

"When mi a go round deh now mi see di soldier dem a block off the pathway. Him say mi cyah pass, so me say 'How everybody a pass and mi cyah pass?'. Him say 'big p***y gal yuh no hear mi say yuh cyah pass?' and mi say 'Just like yuh mouth'."

"Me and him deh deh and after him fake towards me wid di gun. Mi put mi hand up. Mi a go back towards him and lose mi balance, and a so him use him gun and shub me. When me see the gun a inna mi face it a come, mi affi put up mi hand and mi get a scrape on mi wrist. Mi grab offa him, enuh, but mi never touch him and a so him get fi kick me. Mi ago grab offa him again and mi sister wul mi and swing mi.When dem a point dem big guns pon mi, it flashback inna mi mind how dem kill me cousin name Horaine. If him never call me big p***y gal mi wouldn't answer him. Mi no wah nuttenn do mi baby," she said.

Meanwhile, Lavern Riley, who is Davis' mother, said she will not rest until her daughter gets justice.

"Yuh have people on social media a pass bad remarks and dem no know how it go. But inna life yuh see true the hoof no go a fi dem door, dem don't feel weh wi a feel round here. Wi feeling it wid di gunman and now the soldiers. Really and truly, a stoppage affi put to it and mi nah go rest until my daughter get har justice," said the mother of seven.

Riley said she has only been contacted by the JDF to sign a statement in relation to the incident, but nothing was said about covering her daughter's medical expenses.

The incident followed another video in which soldiers were recorded striking a woman and man amid escalating tensions. A zone of special operations was declared in Denham Town in October 2017.