By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE armoury officer testified yesterday that some of the casings recovered from the Cowpen Road scene, where three men were shot and killed by police in 2020, came from an AK-47— a weapon he claimed is not issued to police.

Inspector Jake Petty gave evidence yesterday during the inquest into the deaths of Deshoan “Spider” Smith, 25, Rashad Clarke, 28, and Jared Ford, 27. The men were fatally shot near Spikenard and Cowpen Roads on 13 June 2020.

Inspector Alcott Forbes, Corporal Kevin Greenslade Jr, and Police Constable Courtney Hall — the officers involved in the incident — were present in court. A five-member jury is tasked with determining what occurred.

Police previously said the men were in a white Honda Accord parked near Spikenard Cemetery. When officers approached, the vehicle allegedly fled and the men reportedly opened fire, prompting officers to return fire.

Inspector Petty said two spent casings recovered from the scene came from an AK-47. He added that this weapon was not found on any of the deceased and that police are neither issued nor authorised to use such high-powered firearms.

Previous reports made no mention of this type of ammunition being recovered.

Inspector Petty also said that 9mm and .223 casings were found at the scene.

Detective Sergeant Desmond Rolle previously testified that he instructed officers at the scene to collect evidence, including spent .223 and 9mm casings surrounding the car. DS Rolle also said he collected the officers’ weapons.

These included Inspector Forbes’s black Sig Sauer 9mm pistol with 11 rounds; Corporal Greenslade’s black rifle with two magazines containing 32 rounds of .223 ammunition; and Constable Hall’s black rifle with two magazines holding 33 rounds.

Heastin Kelson, the aunt of Rashad Clarke, testified that she had raised him since he was five months old and that they referred to each other as mother and son.

She said she received a call on the day of the shooting informing her that Clarke and two other men, known as “Dog Bite” and “Rider”, had been shot and killed. Ms Kelson said she was in disbelief after hearing the news.

She and her sisters went to the scene, she said. Ms Kelson confirmed that the car in which the men were killed belonged to her and that she had lent it to Clarke.

She said the last time she spoke to Clarke was around 6.30am that day, when he asked her to pick up his child.

Ms Kelson told evidence marshal Angelo Whitfield that Clarke was healthy and seemed fine the last time she saw him. She described him as beautiful, mannerly, and wonderful.

Upon seeing photos of Clarke in the morgue, she became emotional and said, “I can’t do it,” before breaking down in tears. After composing herself, she confirmed that the photo was of Clarke.

Cecilia Ford, Jared Ford’s sister, initially said her brother was “murdered” but rephrased to say he was “shot and killed by police” after being cautioned by the marshal.

After receiving a call that her brother had been killed, Ms Ford said she went to the scene and saw caution tape and grieving relatives crying out in anguish.

She said her memory of that night became blurry after the coroner’s van arrived.

Ms Ford said she last saw her brother three weeks before his death. He had been living with his aunt on East Street South, she said.

She described him as a quiet person who mostly kept to himself and spoke softly. She said he had no known illnesses.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, she said, Ford had a graveside service. She also positively identified a photo of him in the morgue.

Inspector Danrea Johnson, of the Firearm Licensing Unit, testified that none of the deceased were registered to possess the Austria Glock 19 9mm pistol or its ammunition, both of which were reportedly recovered from the vehicle.

Inspector Johnson said the weapon’s serial number was not found in police records, indicating that it was unlicensed.

When questioned by K Melvin Munroe, the officers’ attorney, Inspector Johnson said she could not confirm whether the pistol was a police-issued weapon but affirmed that it was not registered with authorities.

Maria Daxon represented the estates of the deceased.