The life of a 16-year-old female Government High School student came to an abrupt end Wednesday night in a police shooting incident.
The victim, Giselle Glinton, was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by 25-year-old Kenneth Dorsette of Yellow Elder.
Due to enter GHS twelfth grade in September, she recently received a scholarship to attend school in Jacksonville, Florida.
The shooting occurred shortly before midnight.
Two police reservists, one believed to be a corporal, neither of whose names have been released, were said by police to have reciprocated after being fired on as they chased the motorcycle.
Neither officer was injured.
Dorsette, who received two bullet wounds to one of his hands, was treated at Princess Margaret Hospital and is in police custody.
Glinton, who weighed about 110 pounds, had several bullet wounds to her body, reportedly damaging a number of vital organs, and resulting in internal bleeding.
The Guardian was told doctors worked on the teenager for several hours before she died around three a.m.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Police Commissioner Paul Farquharson, flanked by a number of senior police officials, said that a five-member committee has been appointed to launch an immediate investigation into the shooting, "to uncover the truth and the whole truth."
Appointed to the committee were Deputy Commissioner, John Rolle, who will serve as lead investigator; Superintendent Basil Rahming, of Freeport; Superintendent Juanita Colebrooke; Assistant Superintendent Sean Smith, and Carlton Williams, a civilian who will work with the investigating team.
According to Commissioner Farquharson, around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, while patrollingl in the Mackey Street area, officers saw two peoples on a trail bike behaving suspiciously.
When they approached, the motorbike sped off, he said, and in the area of Williams Lane, someone fired at the pursuing reservists.
"The officers, fearing for their lives, returned fire," Commissioner Farquharson said.
The chase continued into the Dowdeswell Street area, he continued, where there was a second exchange of gunfire.
The driver of the motorcycle then reportedly proceeded on to Shirley Street from Victoria Avenue, where he crashed near the junction of East and Shirley streets.
While answering questions from the press, Commissioner Farquharson said officers are trained to approach hostile situations with caution, and use their judgment.
"When it comes to officers drawing their firearms in instances, there are very clear laws on the books about justifiable force, and that will certainly all come out in the inquiry at the end of the day."
"If anyone fires upon a police officer, the officer has the right to defend him or herself because that would be determined that the officer's life is being threatened. But all of the circumstances in this instance will be brought to light."
Mr. Farquharson said reservists enjoy the same privileges as regular police officers, and "there is no firm practice that reserve officers could not be on duty together."
"We only want to reassure the public that we want to uncover the truth in this matter. Once we would have gathered the evidence, a determination of the investigation will be made and recommendations made for further action," the commissioner said.
Mr. Williams, the independent appointee on the investigating committee, said he "will merely be looking over their shoulders to see that they are doing what they're supposed to do, so that the public's rights and concerns are properly addressed.
"I will provide proper independent oversight over what they do."
Source:οΎ The Nassau Guardian
