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By Kimone Witter/Nakinskie Robinson
The Guanaboa Vale Criminal Investigations Branch and the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) are probing the death of a man who was reportedly shot by two licensed firearm holders at Dovecot cemetery in Kitson Town, St. Catherine on Monday.
The man has been identified as 23-year-old Isaac Foster, of Penny Piece, Kitson Town.
He was said to be of unsound mind.
The bizarre incident unfolded in the presence of the police.
In a video that has been making the rounds on social media, Mr. Foster is seen opening the casket of a woman while her burial was in progress at Dovecot cemetery.
Mourners are heard shouting to two police officers at the scene to intervene, but they hesitate.
In another video, the corpse is seen on the ground with the clothes ripped. The mentally ill man is then shot by a man is plainclothes, in full view of the police.
He falls to the ground and is later seen being carried by the officers toward a police vehicle.
According to the police report, Mr. Foster disrupted the burial proceedings about 2:15 p.m.
He attempted to open the casket, but was stopped by mourners, including a licensed firearm holder.
Mr. Foster was shot by the licensed firearm holder after he used a concrete block to hit the man on the head.
Despite being wounded, Mr. Foster returned to the casket, opened it and removed the body.
He then threw stones at mourners and another licensed firearm holder intervened, and shot Mr. Foster several times.
The police say a team was in the area responding to a report of a disturbance by a mentally ill man when explosions were heard.
When the officers arrived at the cemetery, they discharged their firearms to bring the situation under control.
The wounded people were taken to hospital where Mr. Foster was pronounced dead and the licensed firearm holder treated and released.
'Unlike him'
It's reported that Mr. Foster had been causing major disruption in the area prior to his arrival at the burial site.
Councillor for the Red Hills Division, Michael Archer, said Mr. Foster had been issuing verbal threats to workers who were carrying out de-bushing activities in Pennypiece, Kitson Town and later allegedly tried to destroy a business establishment.
The councillor urged families to provide support to relatives struggling with mental illness by seeking the necessary professional help.
But Radio Jamaica News also spoke with Clinton Washington, the landlord of Mr. Foster, who described the 23-year-old as reserved.
"To my knowings, he's a calm and a quiet guy. He's not a rowdy person. He hardly talk (sic). The only time I heard about that was yesterday because he never act as if he is mentally sick or ill; he was always a calm, working person," he recalled.
Mr. Washington expressed outrage at how the incident at Dovecot was handled.
"It could handle 100?tter.... I never see him with a knife, I never see him with a cutlass, and the police was close beside him," he noted, acknowledging that at least it was not the cops that shot Mr. Foster.
Mr. Washington said Mr. Foster was building a home while temporarily renting at the residence.
Mr. Foster's neighbour and friends also say Monday's incident was the first time they have witnessed any aggressive behaviour from the 23-year-old.
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