My son was not a gunman

A grieving St Catherine mother is insisting that her son, Oshane Cunningham, was unarmed and unlawfully killed by the police on Monday.

Police said Cunningham was fatally shot after pulling an illegal firearm on members of the Area Five Fugitive Apprehension Team. Lenna Cunningham, who lives on Jones Avenue in Spanish Town, said her 33-year-old son was a law-abiding citizen and the latest victim of what she described as a corrupt system that routinely favours police accounts over those of the deceased.

"I am not one of those parents who are going to pick up for their kids, but this is one of the times that I will," Cunningham said.

"The police report is a lie from the pit of hell and I will stand by that. I know my son didn't have any gun," she added.

The police claim that Cunningham was accosted along Industrial Road in the Twickenham Park Estate area and an attempt was made to search him when a struggle developed, causing both the lawmen and Cunningham to fall to the roadway. During the tussle, Cunningham allegedly attempted to remove a firearm from his waistband and was shot. A Taurus GR 9-millimetre pistol was reportedly recovered.

However, Cunningham's mother disputes that account, and defended his character.

"He was a good person and a father figure to my grandchildren. Him and people nuh have things. He never had problems with police, except when there was curfew and them scrape up people and let them out," she said.

Cunningham acknowledged that her son had one previous brush with the law several years ago, when he was arrested in connection with a relationship involving a minor. She said there were no other known run-ins with the police.

As she mourns her son's death, Cunningham said she has little faith in the justice system delivering accountability.

"I have lived in Jamaica all of my 62 years and I have seen where there is hardly any justice for persons killed by the police, and whatever the police say is law. I knew what the police report would be -- that he had a gun -- because I have read that time and time again," she said.

The mother's comments come as Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake pushes back at allegations of widespread unlawful killings by the police.

"The illogic to believe that we are going around, risking our lives, reputation, families and freedom to carry out wanton killings... is disheartening," the commissioner said.

He added that hundreds of people are arrested each year for firearm-related offences without deadly force being used.

"They presented no deadly challenge, hence we had no reason to meet them with deadly response," he said.

The Independent Commission of Investigations has launched a probe into the fatal shooting.