Police witness: Smith ordered church members to kill cops

A police constable yesterday testified that the now-deceased leader of Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries, Kevin Smith, had reportedly instructed church members to kill the police if they attempted to enter the Montego Bay church on the night of October 17, 2021.

The witness said that when he arrived outside the church, he heard a loud voice, and “the voice said kill the police if they tried to enter”.

The constable also recalled hearing several sustained gunshots and seeing bodies on the compound.

The constable, who has served in the Jamaica Constabulary Force for 23 years, was testifying in the murder trial of Andre Ruddock, who is accused of killing 39-year-old church member Taneka Gardner during an alleged sacrificial ritual at the church.

The evidence came as the court continued to hear accounts of the bizarre set of incidents that ended in the deaths of three persons, including Gardner.

The constable recalled that about 6:30 p.m. on the day in question, he was in the Rosemount area assisting another colleague when the colleague received a call concerning a stabbing incident at Yahweh Church.

The constable said he and his colleague proceeded to the area but did not find anyone there from whom they could obtain a report.

The constable said they notified their supervisor, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), and were told to stay in the area.

The constable said they later received another call from the DSP and this time went to the nearby Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries.

On arrival, he said, they saw about 30 people or more outside the church gate and along the roadway.

He said he and three other police personnel got out of the service vehicle and began asking questions about the reported stabbing, but the lawmen were unable to obtain information.

It was then, the constable said, that they heard a loud male voice coming from inside the church.

The voice, he testified, was giving instructions concerning the police.

The constable said the DSP was again contacted, and they were instructed to wait for support.

A special operations unit subsequently arrived, and the constable said he informed another of his colleagues about what was happening.

CONSTABLE’S DISCOVERY

The constable and another member of the team moved closer to the fence with flashlights and saw what appeared to be a human body covered by a white sheet.

“I could see the parts of the body, the feet,” he told the court.

The sheet appeared wet, he said, and water was flowing from the property around the body. He also observed a red substance resembling blood.

However, the officers, he said, did not have long to observe the apparent body as they began hearing explosions that sounded like gunshots.

He reportedly took cover and instructed his colleagues to do the same.

Asked whether he returned fire, the constable said he did not.

He also said that to his knowledge, no member of his team returned fire.

The constable explained that he did not see who was firing and that based on their training and the presence of the crowd, the police personnel could not return fire.

According to him, he instructed his colleague to call the DSP and inform her of what was happening.

The explosions continued for some time, the witness said.

While police personnel were taking cover, they received instructions to wait for additional support.

An Area 1 unit subsequently arrived with police personnel, who were positioned near a small walk-through gate.

The witness said they were told to maintain cover as further assistance would be coming.

He later heard another explosion coming from the direction of the Pathways property and continued to maintain cover.

Again, he said, neither he nor his team returned fire because they could not see what was happening.

While still in position, the constable said he heard shouting about a breach of the property.

He looked and saw police personnel and soldiers.

He could not say what time the military personnel arrived.

The constable eventually entered the church compound through the driveway gate.

Once inside, he said he observed a partially covered body lying in the driveway.

The body was covered with a white sheet from approximately the knees upwards to the head.

He said the red substance was still visible around the body and that water had passed around it, causing the water to appear red.

The body was lying in the driveway, the court heard.

A new witness is to take the stand today.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com