‘RABBIT’ KILLED BY POLICE BULLET

Relatives of a young man who was shot to death by police in the Lowman’s Leeward mountains are demanding answers.

And the police in a press release issued on Wednesday have promised to conduct an investigation into the death of Joel “Rabbit” Williams, a 31-year-old labourer of Ashburton. {{more}}

The press release disclosed that Assistant Superintendent of Police, Eckron Lockhart, the officer in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department, is heading the investigation into circumstances surrounding the death of Williams, “who was shot by the Police on December 30, 2005”.

The release claimed that the deceased who was rushed to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital after the incident, was pronounced dead at about 2:50 p.m. the same day.

“I believe the police are trying to cover this up, so it is up to us to try and release it,” said Calvert Davis, brother of the deceased.

Calvert said he was told by some of Joel’s friends that Joel and a friend were at a river in the mountain washing their feet when they were confronted by police.

Calvert said his brother received a single bullet wound to his back.

“None of the family is satisfied because they kill my brother cold blooded. They shot him in his back,” said Calvert.

Meanwhile, Mike Browne, Parliamentary Representative of West St. George, in a press release noted that he has written to the Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller, “regarding the untimely death at the hands of the police…of Joel Williams” a resident of the constituency of West St. George.

Minister Browne, has indicated to Commissioner Miller that he intends to monitor developments in this matter, and has urged him to be sensitive to the pain of Joel’s family and friends as he addresses this matter.

Joel was the father of a one-year-old daughter.

A postmortem examination was expected to be performed on the body yesterday.