Questions surrounding the fatal police shooting of 22-year-old Jamar Farquharson in Clarendon have shifted from the events captured on camera to the legal authority under which officers carried out their operation.
On Tuesday, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) confirmed that Farquharson’s name did not appear on the search warrant linked to the September 15 raid at his Cherry Tree Lane home.
INDECOM Deputy Commissioner Hamish Campbell explained that while the search warrant was under the Firearms Act, and was meant to be executed at the Farquharson’s address, his name was not on it.
He noted that warrants lacking clear details are not uncommon and raised concerns about the practice.
“Sometimes they just give a district or a road. It is concerning that the courts and justices of the peace are issuing these warrants with sometimes just the name of the road, and the road could be a mile long or even 20 yards,” Campbell said.
Fraquharson was fatally shot by police, who reported that the young man had pulled a firearm during the operation. However, his relatives have contested that claim. CCTV footage released by the family shows the young mixologist opening his front door and appearing to surrender as he raises his hands above his head when he sees the police outside.
When he exits the house, the police enter, search the property, and switch off a camera. The video, however, does not capture what happened later inside the house, where police say a confrontation took place.
According to Campbell, there were 23 officers at the property, and none of them has been charged so far. The open investigations will involve those officers who have already given an initial report being formally interviewed “under the Act to provide a full explanation.” Campbell added that ballistics tests and a post-mortem are still pending.
The absence of body-worn cameras during the raid has intensified public concern. Campbell pointed out that none of the more than 100 planned police operations that ended in fatalities this year involved officers wearing the devices. Farquharson’s death marks the 219th person killed by police this year.
Human rights group Jamaicans for Justice has also urged the immediate rollout of body cameras, stressing that the technology could have provided neutral evidence in Farquharson’s case.