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When did they die?
Ellington doubtful 73 Tivoli residents killed by armed forces
By DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE, Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
INVESTIGATIONS are now underway to determine if all 73 persons who died in the major police/military offensive in West Kingston were killed by the security forces.
“We are still in doubt as to whether or not [all of] these persons were killed during this operation,” Police Commissioner Owen Ellington told editors and reporters at the Observer’s weekly Monday Exchange meeting, held at his Old Hope Road offices yesterday.
“Because of the advanced state of decomposition of the bodies, we suspect that they may have been killed prior. Intelligence gathered indicates that some persons were killed when they attempted to leave on the day that we invited people out, and we have information that some people were killed because they had refused to allow criminals to occupy their homes. But that is to be determined,” Ellington said.
He further explained that in order to verify these reports, tests placing the time of death will have to be done.
“That is intelligence, not fact,” Ellington said. “Our best chance of establishing this is if we can get a pathologist to determine the time of death. And we can then determine a timeline between when our operation was launched and when those individuals died,” Ellington said. “So if we put them outside the realm of the operation then we would know.”
Ellington doubtful 73 Tivoli residents killed by armed forces
By DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE, Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
INVESTIGATIONS are now underway to determine if all 73 persons who died in the major police/military offensive in West Kingston were killed by the security forces.
“We are still in doubt as to whether or not [all of] these persons were killed during this operation,” Police Commissioner Owen Ellington told editors and reporters at the Observer’s weekly Monday Exchange meeting, held at his Old Hope Road offices yesterday.
“Because of the advanced state of decomposition of the bodies, we suspect that they may have been killed prior. Intelligence gathered indicates that some persons were killed when they attempted to leave on the day that we invited people out, and we have information that some people were killed because they had refused to allow criminals to occupy their homes. But that is to be determined,” Ellington said.
He further explained that in order to verify these reports, tests placing the time of death will have to be done.
“That is intelligence, not fact,” Ellington said. “Our best chance of establishing this is if we can get a pathologist to determine the time of death. And we can then determine a timeline between when our operation was launched and when those individuals died,” Ellington said. “So if we put them outside the realm of the operation then we would know.”
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