Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says Jamaican law permits police to apply force considered reasonable, including lethal force in some situations. He made the remarks as pressure grows for officers to wear body cameras, following public concern over an increase in fatal police shootings.
The most recent case drawing countrywide attention is the death of Lotoya Bulgin in Granville, St. James, on Sunday, May 17.
Chuck was addressing an Alternative Dispute Resolution policy development and estate planning forum in Trelawny yesterday. He said officers are allowed to use reasonable force when taking a felon into custody, and that such force may be deadly depending on the circumstances.
The minister said police should not have to use added force to carry out arrests. He urged persons not to resist, saying anyone who believes they were wrongly held can seek remedy through the courts.
Syndicated from Jamaica Inquirer · originally published .
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