Slickianna’s family was overcome with joy following the death of Rushawn Patterson and went to the social media influencer’s graveside to celebrate. Slickianna’s mother, Joy Smith, gathered close friends and family to visit Dovecot Cemetery. Footage of their visit was shared online as they declared it was a day for celebration.
Patterson, accused of murdering Smith’s daughter in 2022, was shot and killed by law enforcers during an alleged police confrontation in Lucea, Hanover. The police went to Patterson’s neighbourhood, the Dundee Pen community, on an operation based on a report from Superintendent of Police Andrew Nish in Jamaica Gleaner.
“It was an intelligence-led targeted operation in the Lucea police area,” Nish said.
Nish, the commanding officer for the Hanover police division, told the news outlet that the 35-year-old suspect was shot and injured during the confrontation. He was later pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.
After receiving news of Patterson’s death, Smith expressed her happiness to The Gleaner hours after he was killed. While she said his demise could not bring her daughter, Aneka ‘Slickianna’ Townsend, back to life, she stated that she got justice.
“I am at Dovecot Cemetery now, and it is right by my daughter’s graveside where we are, celebrating. The police texted me and told me what happened, and it maybe cannot bring her back, but at least I got justice,” Smith said on Tuesday.
Footage shows her caressing Townsend’s headstone, and alcohol can be seen on the ground as people express their glee. Smith added that she did not want Patterson to be imprisoned because sentencing him would have led to him eating taxpayers’ money.
“I was waiting for justice, and now, I finally got it…I was never sure he would get sentenced either, so I am sure now that I got my justice,” Smith said. While she added that she never wanted to rejoice over someone’s demise, she had to rejoice over the death of the man accused of killing her daughter.