Current:Home > BackJamaican security forces shot more than 100 people this year. A body camera was used only once-InfoLens
Jamaican security forces shot more than 100 people this year. A body camera was used only once
View Date:2024-12-23 11:35:43
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A government agency in Jamaica found that security forces were not wearing body cameras when they fatally shot or injured more than 100 people in the Caribbean island in the first half of the year.
Only one body camera was worn during the 106 incidents — including 64 killings — reported from January to June involving Jamaica’s police and military, according to a report released Thursday by the Independent Commission of Investigations. Security forces have killed a total of 119 people as of Oct. 31, although it wasn’t clear if any body cameras were worn in the cases reported from July to October.
The report on shootings comes after Jamaica’s government announced in April that it had distributed 400 body cameras to the Constabulary Force.
“The body-worn cameras will give the account of what transpired without embellishment, without partiality or without bias,” Hugh Faulkner, who leads the commission, told reporters.
Security forces in Jamaica have long been accused of unlawful killings and using excessive force, with the commission noting that fatal shootings have increased since 2019.
There were 134 fatal shootings last year by security forces on the island of 2.8 million people. In 2021, 127 people were killed, a 10% increase compared with the previous year, according to the commission.
Few officers tend to be charged in those cases.
Jamaica’s Constabulary Force has long dismissed the accusations, saying officers work in dangerous areas controlled by gangs wielding numerous illegal firearms.
The commission that released the report was created in 2010 to investigate allegations against security forces.
____
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
veryGood! (753)
Related
- Lions QB Jared Goff, despite 5 interceptions, dared to become cold-blooded
- When a teenager's heart stopped, his friends jumped into action — and their CPR training saved his life
- As homeowner's insurance prices climb, more Americans ask: Is it worth it?
- A charge for using FaceTime? Apple made no such announcement | Fact check
- Businesses at struggling corner where George Floyd was killed sue Minneapolis
- Pregnant Francesca Farago Reveals Why Planning the Babies' Nursery Has Been So Stressful
- Former Texas A&M star Darren Lewis dies at age 55 from cancer
- Bisexuals: You’re valid members of the LGBTQ+ community no matter who you’re dating
- Digital Finance Research Institute Introduce
- New photo of Prince William with his children released to mark his birthday
Ranking
- Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
- Jury awards more than $13 million to ultramarathon athlete injured in fall on a Seattle sidewalk
- Horoscopes Today, June 21, 2024
- North Korea appears to construct walls near DMZ, satellite images reveal
- Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
- Why Candace Cameron Bure Is Fiercely Protective of the Full House She's Built With Husband Valeri Bure
- A fourth victim has died a day after a shooting at an Arkansas grocery store, police say
- California man missing for more than a week found alive in remote canyon
Recommendation
-
Singles' Day vs. Black Friday: Which Has the Best Deals for Smart Shoppers?
-
Water emergency halts tourist arrivals at Italy’s popular Capri island
-
Taylor Wily, 'Hawaii Five-0' and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' actor, dies at 56
-
How many points did Caitlin Clark score last night? Top pick helps Fever to fourth straight win
-
Ex-Phoenix Suns employee files racial discrimination, retaliation lawsuit against the team
-
Noah Lyles wins opening round of men's 100m at US Olympic track and field trials
-
White House perplexed by Netanyahu claims that U.S. is withholding weapons
-
The Wayback Machine, a time machine for the web