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Soldier's head shot off
BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, June 03, 2010
A police officer who took part in the offensive launched by the security forces in West Kingston last week is now severely traumatised after witnessing the head of a Jamaica Defence Force soldier being ripped from his body by a gunman’s bullet.
The incident was related to editors and reporters during a special edition of the Observer’s Monday Exchange, by Assistant Commissioner Glenmore Hinds.
Soldiers patrolling close to Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston last week. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
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ACP Hinds noted that the soldier was leaving a base at Metcaffe Street in Denham Town when a sniper’s bullet tore his head from his shoulders and hurled it to the ground.
That was just one of the many gruelling attacks meted out to the security forces.
“In getting into the community, it took two hours for soldiers to move 200 metres on foot,” he explained. “No vehicles could go in. The intensity of the fire was of such — it was unbelievable! So you can just imagine what went on. In fact, if someone had told me about it, I would not believe it myself.”
Agreeing with Hinds description of the incident, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, also told of movie-like scenes that police and soldiers were forced to participate in.
“We had seven people who were stuck in one of the barricades on Darling Street — they went to rescue the policemen from the station, and they got stuck,” Ellington explained.
“They couldn’t come out of the AVC (armoured vehicle) and it was taking fire and it couldn’t move. We had to send two more down there to push it out. The AC was off, they were roasting in there.”
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Soldier's head shot off
BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, June 03, 2010
A police officer who took part in the offensive launched by the security forces in West Kingston last week is now severely traumatised after witnessing the head of a Jamaica Defence Force soldier being ripped from his body by a gunman’s bullet.
The incident was related to editors and reporters during a special edition of the Observer’s Monday Exchange, by Assistant Commissioner Glenmore Hinds.
Soldiers patrolling close to Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston last week. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
1/1
ACP Hinds noted that the soldier was leaving a base at Metcaffe Street in Denham Town when a sniper’s bullet tore his head from his shoulders and hurled it to the ground.
That was just one of the many gruelling attacks meted out to the security forces.
“In getting into the community, it took two hours for soldiers to move 200 metres on foot,” he explained. “No vehicles could go in. The intensity of the fire was of such — it was unbelievable! So you can just imagine what went on. In fact, if someone had told me about it, I would not believe it myself.”
Agreeing with Hinds description of the incident, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, also told of movie-like scenes that police and soldiers were forced to participate in.
“We had seven people who were stuck in one of the barricades on Darling Street — they went to rescue the policemen from the station, and they got stuck,” Ellington explained.
“They couldn’t come out of the AVC (armoured vehicle) and it was taking fire and it couldn’t move. We had to send two more down there to push it out. The AC was off, they were roasting in there.”
Buy a copy of today's Chat! newspape
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