A man was fatally shot by law enforcers after he allegedly sexually assaulted and fatally stabbed a policeman’s 14-year-old daughter, who was visiting Jamaica. The teen, Tianna Sutherland, was murdered on Wednesday morning after she came to visit relatives in St Thomas for the holiday.
Tianna is a US citizen and the daughter of a police sergeant assigned to the parish. She was staying with relatives at a house in Blue Mahoe when she was attacked. According to reports, the incident occurred around 8 a.m. The attacker, described as mentally unstable, reportedly forced his way in through an open grill.
Initial reports said he took her from the house, but a statement from the police did not mention them leaving the property. Initial reports also said she was allegedly sexually assaulted, but the police did not include this allegation in their released statement.
According to the police, after the man gained entry into the house, a physical altercation erupted between Sutherland and the man. During the fight, the man reportedly stabbed Tianna several times, and she also injured him.
Before succumbing to her injuries, the teen reportedly managed to contact her father. He arrived on the scene to find her in the kitchen and taken to the local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Preliminary reports say Residents in the area reported seeing a man fleeing the scene in bloodstained clothing. Acting swiftly, police tracked the suspect to a nearby structure. They followed a trail of blood inside the structure, and they discovered the bloodstained clothing believed to belong to the suspect.
According to reports, officers found the man naked with a stab wound. He allegedly attacked officers while armed with a machete. The man, who has not yet been identified, was fatally shot during the confrontation. Further searches of the location led officers to recover the teen’s mobile phone and jewellery.
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and the Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB) are both probing the police response and the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
