Woman shot dead by police in Jamaica at protest over previous police shooting

Authorities in Jamaica have launched an investigation after CCTV footage of a woman’s fatal shooting by police sent shock waves across the Caribbean nation. Footage circulating on social media shows a police officer firing at a vehicle during a protest on Sunday in Granville, in Jamaica’s north-western parish of St James. The bullet hit Latoya Bulgin, 45, who was behind the wheel of the vehicle. According to the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom), the police officers were “conducting crowd control duties” during a protest against a previous police shooting, in which 17-year-old Tjey Edwardson was killed on 12 May. In the video, Bulgin’s minivan is seen stationary at the side of the road as several people climb out. Police officers can be seen standing nearby. With one of the side doors still open, the vehicle starts to pull back out into the road. Apparently without warning, an officer standing a few feet in front of the vehicle pulls a handgun and shoots at the driver, amid screams and cries from people nearby. Some people are seen running. Police officers are then seen dragging Bulgin’s limp body out of the car and on to the ground before putting her in the back of a police pickup truck. The officers do not appear to make any attempt to offer first aid to the injured woman. Bulgin was reportedly taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. Local reports say Bulgin, who was affectionately known as “Buju”, was a mother of two and a businesswoman. …