A Jamaican police officer has been charged with murder after a woman was shot dead during a protest, in a rare move by authorities. Constable Andrew Wilson appeared in court on Wednesday and was denied bail, with a further hearing scheduled for mid-June.
The killing of 45-year-old Latoya Bulgin on 17 May in Granville, St James, sparked protests after CCTV footage showed an officer firing at her vehicle. The protest was against a police shooting days earlier that killed 17-year-old Tjey Edwards, identified by local media as Bulgin's cousin.
In the footage, Bulgin's minivan is stationary as people exit. An officer standing in front of the vehicle draws a handgun and shoots at the driver without apparent warning. Officers then drag Bulgin's body from the car and place it in a police pickup truck without offering first aid.
The Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) said the prompt collection of video evidence helped establish an objective understanding of the incident. Human rights group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) noted that no body camera was worn by the officer, highlighting the importance of independent footage.
JFJ executive director Mickel Jackson stated that without the CCTV footage, the conversation and police response would not have occurred. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has urged a prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent inquiry into Bulgin's death.
