Suspected gangsters nabbed; mom pleads for mentally ill detainee

A mother is concerned about the future of her mentally challenged son who was among 25 men detained by the security forces during a predawn Joint Anti-Gang Task Force operation along Mountain View Avenue.

But the police have claimed success, saying Thursday’s operation netted two suspected gang leaders, who were primary targets.

The Gleaner understands that one of the men, Richard ‘Bob’ Higgins, was named on the police wanted list.

Residents of Hilldene, an area adjoining Jarrett Lane, reported waking up to banging on their doors and interrogation by the security forces about 4 a.m.

Paula Senior’s 26-year-old son, whose name has been withheld, was reportedly taken from his bed and rounded up to be processed along with the others.

“If me never bawl out, me woulda drop down. Some come inna mi yard and mi just blood dem up,” she said, a colloquial term for the invocation of Jesus Christ.

“Him can’t explain himself. You see up yah suh nuh right,” she added, hinting at his intellectual disability.

Senior says she hopes that her son’s illness will not be triggered while in custody as he is schizophrenic and may react adversely to forceful interaction.

“Him look normal. Him will start grumble by himself and you nuh trouble him. When him can’t explain himself, him just get mad,” Senior said.

The mother of four said that some of the soldiers were aggressive and said that other members of her household were not disrespectful.

The police said the major early morning operation targeted guns, gunmen, and gangs.

Higgins was wanted for allegedly shooting with intent on October 15, 2020, along Wellington Street in Kingston 16.

In a social-media post on the constabulary’s Instagram account, the police said Higgins was captured despite changing his identity and complexion several times.

In January, the police named 88 wanted men across the 19 police divisions in Jamaica.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the police said 17 of the listed individuals had been captured.