Violent protests in Jamaica after police shoot and kill two men

Sunday, October 26, 2003

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Crowds burned cars and buses and blocked roads near Montego Bay's airport Saturday to protest the killing of two men by police. 

According to the Associated Press, police fired guns in the air and used tear gas to disperse the protesters, who numbered about 4,000, but the crowds regrouped, tossing bottles at officers and preventing them from clearing moving burnt vehicles from the roadways leading to the resort city's airport. 

Protesters also set a fire at the road leading to the nearby Sandals Montego Bay resort, preventing people from entering or leaving, independent RJR radio reported. 

The protests began early Saturday after police shot and killed two men who the officers said opened fire first from a car, said police Superintendent Newton Amos. 

People in the surrounding neighborhood challenged the official version and said police opened fire first on the two men, who were in their 60s. 

Jamaica's police force has been considering a stricter policy on the use of force to reduce the number of fatal shootings by its officers. Amnesty International said the Caribbean island nation has one of the of the world's highest per capita rates of police killings, totaling 133 last year. 

While much of the island of 2.6 million is largely crime-free, gun violence is frequent in parts of Kingston, the capital. Last year there were 1,045 murders reported in Jamaica.  

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