15-YO Reportedly Shot By Police Officer While Returning From A Shop In Seaview Gardens

August 12, 2022

An unnamed 15-year-old teenager who migrated to the United States (US) in 2016 and is on vacation in Jamaica, was shot in the leg on Thursday night by a law enforcement officer in the community of Seaview Gardens in St. Andrew.

Shortly after the incident, the young boy’s father, Howard Johnson arrived on the island and interviewed with Loop News. During the interview, he expressed outrage at the incident that almost claimed the life of his son, who he says is an aspiring athlete and honour roll student. He also shared that the reason his children migrated was because of the violence in the community.

According to Johnson, his son told him that on the night of the incident he recalled hearing gunshots when he went to a shop to buy a bag juice. At the sound of this, he proceeded to run home but was stopped by police officers who fired two gunshots in the air and cautioned him to “Freeze”, to which he complied.

The father said that even though his son was unarmed when he turned around, he was cruelly shot in the leg. He claimed that the cries from his son and the liquid from the bag juice that was flowing on the ground were what saved him from getting killed.

Johnson is demanding that justice be served for his 15-year-old son who is now in the hospital receiving treatment for a gunshot injury to the leg. He is scheduled to meet with the Children’s Advocate and investigators on Friday.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is also investigating the matter and has since disclosed that based on the report submitted by the security forces, it outlined that they were engaged with about two men, one of whom pointed a gun. A shot was then fired by a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

However, INDECOM noted that they are not in receipt of any report indicating that a weapon was retrieved from assailants at the scene.