Residents in Gouyave on the western seashore of the island staged angry protest action early this morning after a young man in the area was shot and injured by the police.
According to a police source, the injured man is Jamol Charles of Gun Battle, St. John’s who was shot by police on the upper part of one leg after the lawmen went to his home as part of an investigation into an incident.
He told THE NEW TODAY that the lawmen went in search of Dunstan Charles, who is the brother of the injured man, when a confrontation started with the mother.
A close family member confirmed that a party of officers went to the home to detain Dunstan Charles who was not present and a physical confrontation started between the mother and a female police officer.
He said that the other brother (Jamol) who was in the house came out and also got involved in the controversy and was then shot by the police.
The injured man was assisted by two residents of Gun Battle and placed at the back of a police vehicle and taken to the Gouyave medical station initially for treatment but moments later was rushed to the St. George’s General hospital.
The residents then started to protest outside the medical station by throwing garbage into the streets and calling for justice to be given to the injured Jamol.
The Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) dispatched the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) to move into the area to deal with the situation.
A family member called THE NEW TODAY to complain that he visited the Health Centre in Gouyave and the police were trying to prevent him from going into the building to see his injured nephew.
“We reach down in the hospital now and it has about 8 CID men here and we can’t go in,” he remarked.
He also said that the police later allowed the mother and father of the injured man to enter onto the hospital compound.
There are reports that the doctor looking after the injured Jamol has ordered a second x-ray to be done on the injured leg.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated that Gouyave was on the eastern side of the island. Gouyave is on the western side.