IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Members of the security forces arrive to secure the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston on Thursday. One warder and three inmates were killed in what the police say was an attempted prison break.
Howard Campbell
, Gleaner Writer
PRISON AUTHORITIES continued investigations yesterday into Thursday's bloody stand-off at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston which left four persons dead and five others injured.
Kern Spencer, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of National Security, told The Gleaner that a thorough search of the prison was carried out yesterday by members of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
"When I left there nothing was found as it relates to contraband," said Mr. Spencer who met with Superintendent Leroy Fairweather and Acting Superintendent Clarence Campbell, senior officials at the prison, during his visit.
COUNSELLING
"Several of the warders had witnessed the death of a colleague and the injuring of three others. They are terrified. The chaplain at the institution is now pulling a team together to deal with some counselling."
The Gleaner made several attempts to contact Major Richard Reese, head of the DCS, but was told he was in meetings throughout the day.
On Thursday afternoon, Major Reese said a Board of Inquiry would be established to investigate, and report on the incident within 14 days.
Mr. Spencer was unable to say whether members of that board had yet been appointed.
Police believe the incident, which reportedly took place at around 10:15 am during the processing of visitors at the maximum security facility, was an attempted prison break.
An unidentified man pulled a .38 revolver and opened fire, according to the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN). Warders returned fire and in the aftermath five persons were also shot and injured.
Twenty-eight-year-old warder Maurice Whitting-ham, who was in his second year with the DCS, was killed by a bullet to the throat, the CNN reported Thursday.
THREE DEAD PRISONERS
The three dead prisoners have been identified as Kamar Cotterell, Richard Harrison and Jeffrey Jones.
Three other correctional officers Wayne Lindsay, Roger Mills and Cleopatrick Blake were shot and injured. So too was probation officer Carol Clarke and Nisshar Crossdale, a visitor. Crossdale has been hospitalised.
Yesterday, family of inmates stood across the street from the prison waiting to get some news on the condition of their relatives. They said they had heard nothing about them since the fracas took place.
One woman, whose cousin is in the eighth year of a life sentence, said visitors had not been accommodated yesterday. "We hear that our cousin in there well blood up. We hear that them beat him bad."
Another woman, whose 29-year-old son has four years remaining in an eight-year larceny sentence, was equally anxious.
"I can't hear anything from anyone," she said. "I didn't see him yesterday when I came to look for him, so I don't know if him injured or not."
