By John Myers, Jnr. Staff ReporterBENEATH A cloudy, afternoon sky, family, friends, colleagues and well-wishers came to pay final respects to Renee Lyons, the 10-year-old girl whose life was cut short by a policeman's bullet in Majesty Gardens, on July 25.
Moving to the beat of a community band, the procession settled for the thanksgiving service at the Hagley Park Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Hagley Park Road, Kingston.
Renee was described by her family and peers as an obedient and respectful child who excelled, both academically and athletically, and loved to attend school even when her parents could not find her lunch money.
GRIEF AND SORROW
In the many tributes read at the ceremony attended by Member of Parliament, Portia Simpson Miller, the grief of those who have come in contact with Renee was evident.
"If love could have saved you, you wouldn't have died; like dust from the wind, you were taken from us... a promising young athlete and rising star, our star," one tribute read.
Similar sentiments were echoed by her friends from the Tavares Gardens Primary School, where she was enrolled. The school, they said, had lost a valuable asset.
In the main sermon, delivered by Pastor Steven Williams, he warned of the consequences of the current wave of violence penetrating communities and those persons who make it their business to kill others: A habit which has become commonplace in our society, he said.
"Killing people don't make you great, serving people is what make you great," said Pastor Williams.
He also pointed to the need for the police "to realise that the first issue they come across, the answer is not to go to the gun." However, he implored the people not to lose faith in the police, as without them there would be no order.
Renee died after a policeman, who was reportedly chasing a youth with a ganja spliff, fired his service revolver. The bullet caught her in the head. She later died in hospital.
Her parents said she was standing at her aunt's gate in Majesty Gardens, waiting to be taken to the doctor, when she was struck by the bullet.
The incident sparked a massive protest by residents, who used debris to block sections of Spanish Town Road, demanding that justice be done. Calm was restored after senior officers of the Hunts Bay Police gave assurance that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
