The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A JURY has ruled the fatal police shooting of three men on Cowpen Road in 2020 as justifiable homicide.

Despite the verdict, the families of the deceased have declared, “It’s not over yet,” and plan to pursue further legal action.

The five-member jury returned its verdict after 30 minutes of deliberation, concluding the inquest into the deaths of Deshoan “Spider” Smith, 25, Rashad Clarke, 28, and Jared Ford, 27.

The men were shot dead near Spikenard and Cowpen Roads on June 13, 2020.

According to police, the men were inside a white Honda Accord parked near Spikenard Cemetery. When officers approached, the vehicle allegedly fled. Later, when the vehicle was found on a vacant lot on Cowpen Road, police say the men opened fire, prompting officers to return fire.

Inspector Alcott Forbes, Corporal Kevin Greenslade Jr, and Police Constable Courtney Hall — the officers involved in the incident — were present in court and appeared composed as the verdict was read.

K Melvin Munroe, the attorney representing the officers, said his clients were relieved by the outcome. He added that the officers were glad to move past the ordeal, especially after what he described as misleading reports about the proceedings.

During the inquest, Mr Munroe had an investigating officer retract a prior claim that AK-47 rounds were found at the scene. The officer admitted his earlier statement was incorrect, clarifying that only police-issued .223 casings were recovered.

Following the verdict, relatives of the deceased expressed dissatisfaction, claiming key evidence had not been presented in court and reaffirming their intention to challenge the decision.

Before the jury deliberated, Maria Daxon, attorney for the deceaseds’ estates, had indicated plans to call a witness. However, when court resumed after lunch, no witness appeared, and Ms Daxon proceeded with her closing arguments.

Ms Daxon told the jury there were inconsistencies in the police narrative. She noted that several investigating officers repeatedly responded, “I don’t know,” to her questions. She questioned how one of the men sustained a head injury when there was no visible damage to the rear of the vehicle. She also challenged the claim that shots were fired from the back of the car, noting the windows were up and tinted. Additionally, she highlighted the absence of blood splatter on the front of the vehicle, where the driver was reportedly shot.

She urged the jury to find the shootings unjustified.

Mr Munroe acknowledged that the vehicle was tinted but contended that the officers never claimed to see exactly where the shots originated. He maintained that the officers returned fire only after being shot at. He cited forensic evidence showing that the weapon recovered from the car had been fired twice, with one bullet lodged in the dashboard.

“You can’t start a gunfight and determine how it ends,” he said, asking the jury to consider if they would have done the same under threat to their own lives and others’.

Dr Caryn Sands, a pathologist, testified that the cause of death for each man was gunshot wounds to the head, torso, and extremities. She added that bleeding along the wound paths indicated the men were alive at the time of the shooting. Dr Sands also noted that Jared Ford’s hand appeared “mangled” from gunfire, making it impossible to determine entry or exit wounds due to the extent of the damage.

The weapon found in the vehicle was located between Ford’s legs, with suspected blood splatter on it.

Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux, summarising the evidence, said a male jogger reported seeing the men in the car before the shooting and later hearing two bursts of gunfire from the area.

Last month, a jury similarly ruled the 2021 police-involved shooting of Drexton Dominique Belony in Red Yard, Hunters, Grand Bahama, as justifiable homicide.

Inquests do not determine criminal liability. Had the jury found otherwise, the matter would have been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider potential charges.

The case was marshalled by Angelo Whitfield.