Body cameras needed now, says PNP Women's Movement after police fatal shooting of Bulgin

The People's National Party (PNP) Women's Movement is calling for immediate use of body-worn cameras by the police force following what it has described as the "deeply troubling" fatal shooting of Latoya Bulgin in Granville, St James, on Sunday.

In a media release on Tuesday, the group said the incident should raise several concerns among all well-thinking Jamaicans at home and in the diaspora. 

"The CCTV footage of the actual shooting, immediately before and afterwards, being circulated on social media raises serious questions about the use of lethal force by members of the security forces," the Women's Movement said. 

Forty-five-year-old Latoya Bulgin, otherwise called ‘Buju’, was shot and killed during a protest in the community over the police killing of a 17-year-old boy one week earlier.

According to reports, the woman allegedly got into an altercation with police personnel who were monitoring the demonstration. Video footage of the interaction showed Bulgin, who was in a vehicle, attempting to drive off after which the policeman discharged his firearm.

The Women's Movement said Bulgin's "unfortunate demise must stir the authorities to action to immediately implement the use of body-worn cameras by members of the security forces." 

The Women's Movement also took issue with the handling of Bulgin’s body after she was shot, saying it was "disturbing, especially since she was thrown in the back of a police jeep in the presence of other community members." 

"This conduct falls below the respect that should be afforded to our citizens by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.  We therefore call upon the High Command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to ensure that the established protocols and procedures governing these sensitive situations are consistently adhered to and properly enforced by members of the Force," the group said.

The Women's Movement also encouraged members of the Granville community who witnessed the incident on Sunday to cooperate with the Independent Commission of Investigations and provide a statement. 

"The statement of witnesses is critical to the quest for justice," it said.

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