Cop guns down cop in Christmas tragedy

Anastasia Cunningham, Senior Gleaner Writer

It was a typical Christmas Day. Everyone got up early and busily prepared for a big family dinner full of fun, excitement, laughter, and good food at Grandma Ivy Ellis' home in Pennants, Clarendon.

But what was expected to be one of the best days of the year for the family turned into a nightmare when they got news, amid preparing for a feast, that one of their own was gunned down that very morning.

Thirty-year-old Police Constable Shaun Howe was shot and killed by another policeman approximately 6:30 Sunday morning at a dance on D'Aguilar Road, Kingston 11.

His brother, Constable Garfield Edwards, got the news first and had to break it to the other family members. Having not seen his brother in some five months, he was looking forward to talking to him at dinner.

"The next time I saw him was down at Madden (Funeral Home) on a table lying down," said Edwards.

The family, including two other brothers and four sisters, spent Christmas in shock and tears.

The news hit hard for Howe's wife, Sashay. His mother, Angela Ellis-Sharrier, had to be rushed to the hospital. His two-year-old daughter Kiara doesn't understand why Daddy didn't come home, especially since she was used to spending so much of her time in his arms.

Another cop's party

Edwards said his understanding was that the party was being staged by another police officer and his brother and others went to support him.

According to reports, close to the end of the dance, Howe left his colleagues to urinate in an open lot where, for some unclear reason, he was shot dead.

"From what I know, my brother don't know him (the policeman who shot him) and him don't know my brother. My brother is stationed in Clarendon and he is stationed at Flying Squad (Kingston)."

Edwards stated that he and the family were still quite puzzled as to what could have led to the tragedy.

"Something not right. There needs to be an investigation into this. I don't understand if as a police this is the way you go about things - you just shoot someone just like that without asking any questions. Worse, it's a policeman who put on the party, so you will have policemen there in plain clothes with firearms; you will have licensed firearm holders," he reasoned.

Edwards said his brother, a graduate of Vere Technical High School, grew up in the Church; where he was part of the choir as well as a musician, playing keyboard, guitar, and drums.

"Shaun was a jovial person. If you get to know him, him just keep you laughing and you can't stop. He was never one to get into any trouble, I am more arrogant than him. I'm the type who easy to knock you out. Shaun will just laugh affa you and gone bout him business," said Edwards.

Aside from losing a close, dear brother, Edwards is especially devastated because he was instrumental in getting Howe to join the police force four years ago.

Howe was first stationed at Half-Way Tree but was later transferred to the May Pen Criminal Investigation Branch in Clarendon, where he lived, to be closer to his pregnant wife.

Edwards said he was awaiting the results of the post-mortem, which is scheduled for Wednesday in Spanish Town.

The policeman responsible for the killing has since been taken into custody. Both the Independent Commission of Investigations and the Bureau of Special Investigations are probing the incident.

anastasia.cunningham@gleanerjm.com