By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

COMMISSIONER of Police Paul Rolle has responded to renewed concerns about unjustified force in the wake of police killings, urging people not to put police in a position to use deadly force.

This year has seen two fatal police-involved shootings and the incidents have sparked concerns over police officers’ versions of events that lead to the killings.

Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin recently called on National Security Minister Marvin Dames to publicly disclose the policies, protocols and rules governing the use of the body cameras and procedures for “the independent scrutiny of footage emanating from the cameras”.

In response to calls for the release of body cam footage, the police chief said yesterday he has already spoken on that issue and referred to his previous remarks at the rollout of the devices.

“Like I said, matters are going to be going before the courts and at that point we have full disclosure,” he said.

He spoke as he and officers did a walkabout in areas such as Mason’s Addition. The neighbourhood was rocked back in 2018 by the police shooting death of Deangelo Evans; many of the residents insisted at the time the 20-year-old did nothing wrong.

Commissioner Rolle said that police-involved shootings are heard in the Coroner’s Court.

“I don’t want to respond to say that police deal with unjustifiable force because all of the matters that involve police shootings go before the Coroner’s Court and persons who are involved have an opportunity to come and testify,” he told reporters.

“So let us you know bear in mind that police officers are here to keep everybody safe - that’s our number one priority. But what I want to say is to persons who want to challenge police officers not to do so you don’t put police officers in that position where they have to use force and deadly force. The officers have their right to get their (day) in court and if they are found wanting then the law carries its course.”

However, Coroner Jeanine Weech-Gomez has denied her body is responsible for investigating such events.

Before jurors decided last year that police unlawfully killed 22-year-old Osworth Rolle, she told them: “We have no special task force to investigate an officer in a police-involved shooting. In this jurisdiction, if there is a fatal police shooting, it is the police who will investigate the police.”

When this statement was brought to his attention, Commissioner Rolle said: “No I’m not gonna explain anything that the coroner said, you'll have to ask the coroner to explain that. Anything to do with police involved shootings we conduct an investigation, take statements and the file is sent to the coroner who will be able to ask questions, family can ask questions, and that is the way that it is done.”

During the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly, Mr Dames revealed to date that 120 body-worn cameras have been deployed in the force’s operational command and 20 are at the Cable Beach Police Station.

“To date, almost 4,000 recordings have occurred with the dash camera technology, so it proves that it is working,” he said.