Gun-pointing assailant killed by cops
June 19, 2009 – 10:53 pm28 Comments
Michael Anthony Phillips, 36, of Phillip Avenue, Kingston 11, was fatally shot after he pointed a gun at the police in that community yesterday.
Police say about 11:30 a.m., an operation was carried out at Phillip Avenue. During the exercise, Phillips was seen with a firearm which he pointed at the lawmen.
The police took evasive action and opened fire, hitting him. The weapon – a Ruger 9mm pistol, serial number 30605088 with seven rounds of ammunition – was taken from him. He was transported to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Bureau of Special Investigations has commenced an inquiry.
- Accused robbers remanded
- POLICE NAMES ISLAND'S MOST WANTED $12 Million Bounty Offered
- Violence mars carnival celebrations - Cop and reveller injured in anti-gay incident
- Teens held with gun
- Body Found in May Pen, Clarendon
- 'Hang even the innocent': Poll reflects growing desperation with crime
- Arsonists set houst ablaze in Montego Bay, St. James
it is a shame jamaica’s finest with all their training and expertise has to kill a human being in cold blood, bearing in mind that he only pointed a gun.
my heart goes out to all his families and friends
may he rest in peace
I am sick of reading these Jamaican news all the time where these police who is suppose to ”Protect and Serve” killing off these young men. Isn’t it their duty to use all means neccessary to bring these people to justice?
Just as Mr Harkley says, i cannot believe with all the training these police recieve they cannot disharm a man without killing him.
What is our country gone to? these are some of the behaviours that are keeping good citizens like myself from returing to our beautiful island.
where are the justices in Jamaica? isnt there any Human Rights in Jamaica?why these Policemen get away with so many cold blooded murders.Why didnt the police take Micheal Phillips into custody?.Shame on you Mr Comissioner of Police it is time you wake up and do your job.
i am shocked of michael phillips death he was dealth with wrongly. there was no need to shot him 3 times in the chest they wanted him dead. they could have held him down or aim for his foot to resain him. these police should not get away with it, if they are not both to justice they will only continue to kill when they feel like it. i am in so mush hurt on pain for his loss an will never get to experience the live we planed together.
What was Michael Anthony Phillips doing with a gun in the first place? Maybe, just maybe he got what he was about to give to someone else with that gun, karma is a b****!!
Give up the guns and the old western style ways so we could all live in peace.
a nuf people witness de killing but dem fraid fi open dem mouth, de police dem murder de man ina him yard in him house and fling him body ina dem jeep. why dem nuh write seh de man was murder ina him yard? dem a mek it look like a pon de road dem kill him wen dem kill de man ina him house. a waa good man dem kill fi mek other people (dem friends) currupt de area with dem curreption. a full time dem stop dis ting. dem call den self ‘lawmen’ and dem nuh act like man of de law.
Some of these people need to know facts before writing comments and why are they trying to pose as one this man’s son’s?
Michael phiilips was a good person, a famaily man who only wanted peace in his community and he was always doing good for others. This man was brutally murdered in his home wearing nothing but his underwear, nobody don’t deserve to be killed like that! R.I.P Michael we will miss you.
It is shocking sometimes the stories that these police can cook up when they commit cold blooded murder.More than one “ARMED” police officers went in the house to face this man and he pulled a gun on them, come on now be realistic he must have been of unsound mind because no body in there right state of mind would do that. Do these police think that were idiots, come with a better story.
A Friend,
I am not his son nor did I claim to be, just a Jamaican citizen who has concerns regarding Michael Anthony Phillips having a gun. If and I said if he had an illegal gun WHAT is he doing with it? Just giving an objective voice.
Why are you people acting surprise over the Brutal Slaughtering of this young man? Jamaica Justice System is one of the worst, if not the worst in the entire world.
Look where this man came from Kingston 11, i happened to know that area quite well. In fact i use to play with my friends in that lane when i was a child growing up, but thank God for my parents who got us out when they did.
Let me tell you about that area, you have 3 types of criminals (1) the under 20’s frustrated and confused and yes most of them without parents especially fathers. (2) The Haves (the ones that call themselves DONS) who corrupt the frustrated and confused criminals and (3) The most vicious and corrupted of them all, the so call ‘LAWMEN’ who is employed by our Government to protect and serve but work for the HAVES better known as DONS.
All it takes is a few dollars for them to get rid of whosoever dare stands in these DONS way or ever challenge their criminality (this they called disrespect)people such as Michael Anthony Phillips, who tries to do good in his neighbourhood but unfortunately this behaviour doesn’t benefit the number (2’s)DONS and number (3’s)LAWMEN so they have to get rid of him to send a strong message to all those who dare try to undo their wrongs or challenge their criminality.
So don’t be surprise over the Brutal Killing of this decent Jamaican Citizen or even over the way these so call LAWMEN is trying to cover it up, they were only doing their job. The only thing is they were not representing our Government or the law abiding Jamaican Citizens, instead they were defending their pockets and representing their Bigger Bosses (The DONS)
REST IN PEACE: MICHAEL ANTHONY PHILLIPS
May your memories give strength to all your loved ones and may they take comfort in knowing an ANGEL is watching over them.
It is very sad and disturbing to read Wisdom’s comment and what strikes me most of all is the fact that he stated that he used to live and play in the area. If he is to be believed (and I have no reason to doubt him)something is radically wrong with the justice system in Jamaica and with the arm that is sworn to uphold law and order. Without referring to the Michael Phillips killing in details, there have been too many questionable police killings of Jamaican citizens over the years. Fact,as many people that are killed by the police, the murder rate continues to increase. It does not need a “study” or “survey” conducted under any of the social sciences to prove that the killings by the police are not helping to solve the rampant crime and murder wave that has been “eating out the heart of Jamaica” for the last 20 years or so. Jamaica needs a radical change in its police force because the methods they are currently using and have been using is failing Jamaicans and only benefitting the funeral directors. How can a country so great, with so many talented (note I did not say educated)people continue to slip away down the path to anarchy? I know this is a rhetorical question but is there someone out there trying to find the answer. Peace and love my friends.
“SON”
I appreciate your last comment regarding Michael Phillips and you giving an objective point of view, however as I stated before Michael Phillips was “LOVED” by many and didn’t deserve to be treated that way by our law enforcement officers. Just as “WISDOM” stated “All it takes is a few dollars for them to get rid of whosoever dare stands in these DONS way or ever challenge their criminality” Michael Phillips was wrongly dealt with by the “POLICE”.
But there is a saying “WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND” so I hope that these police can sleep in their bed at night knowing that they’ve taken away somebody’s FATHER, SON, BOTHER, HUSBAND AND FRIEND etc.
R.I.P. Michael Phillips we all miss and love you very much. Xxx
It is really sad to see what our sweet sweet Jamaica has become. Reading these articles about Jamaican Policemen and their brutal killings, i am really ashamed. What are the Minister of Security and Justice and the Commissioner of Police doing?Why are they all playing a blind eye?. Mr Minister of Security and Justice, and Mr Commissioner, When are you guys are going to wake up and see what you are all doing to our beautiful country?.Cant you see that the more fatherless children in the country is the more crime you are inventing?Remember those children becomes hopeless also heartless.Please Mr Minister of Secutity and Justice,please Mr Comissioner let us not keeps on failing our future Ministers of tomorrow.ITS TIME TO ACT NOW!!!
We all know there are corrupt cops in the Jamaica Constabulary Force and will always be, and agree there are too much police killing. All Jamaican Citizens have the moral responsibility to uphold the law and protect our country. I for one cannot come to grip as to why Jamaicans seems to levitate towards glorifying the so call “Badman”. Is this the new trend in the Jamaican culture? It seems to be imbedded in our society that you have to be “bad” to be accepted. Let’s start teaching all our children to have dreams and work hard to attain them (not with guns…) and change the future.
“SON”
Why should we as Jamaican Citizens accept that ” there are corrupt cops in the Jamaica Constabulary Force and will always be”, is this the way for all Jamaican Citizens to protect our country with corrpution in the heart of the law? Wherby these people i.e. police office are apointed to upheld and enforce the law in the first place? I agree that “All Jamaican Citizens have the moral responsibility to uphold the law and protect our country” what i cannot accept is the fact that the so call law makers are full of corrruption.
First we need to bring all these corrupted criminals to justice before we can tackle the (so call “Badman”), this is nothing to do with glorifying badman, its about justice for all in our country.
Is corrupted cops in the Jamaica Constabulary Force the new trend in the Jamaican culture? Wake up “SON” because it seems as if you are in a very very deep coma……………………………….
You seem to be blaming the Jamaica Constabulary Force for all the corruption and crime in Jamaica. Yes I agree that there are corrupt cops in the JCF and I don’t condone it whatsoever. The fish is always stinks from the head, and the JCF has a lot of stinking fish. These rogue corrupted cops should be charged or at least be fired, am all for that, but am also sure there are also hard working honest police officers in the JCF who’s upholding the law.
You and I, our families, friends and neighbors have to share some of the blame in it. We all accepted it to be the norm and now it’s at a pivotal point that it can no longer be tolerated in our society. As I said before every Jamaican citizen has the moral responsibility to uphold the law of our county without exception or exclusion.
What are you doing to bridge the gap between the police and your community? The mind is a powerful thing….not guns
SON
No one is ignoring the fact that there are law abiding police officers in the JCF but they are few and far between; note the patterns of the areas where these police killings are happening. Socially and economically deprived areas where you have the poor and ignored, where majority of the residents or either semi or uneducated people most who cannot afford to provide for their family.
It appears that unless you are famous and or financially secured your life seems to mean nothing in the Jamaican culture, a life is a life regardless of one’s stability and should be embraced not destroy. Let’s face it we all are going to die one day and no matter how much money or social status we have in life it will not bring us back when we die.
As stated by Dr Caroline Gomes from Justice for Jamaica in an interview “recent strategic review states Jamaican police are involved in murder for hire, corruptions, gun selling and drug running’s etc” tell me something how can the average Jamaican citizens “bridge the gap between the police and their community” when the ones that are sworn to uphold the law are the law breakers themselves?
We all know that the mind is a powerful thing and not guns, but how can the poor and ignored who can barely afford to provide for their family take on these oppressors? We as Jamaican citizens especially our politicians owe it to the Jamaican people to tackle these problems not just at the back end where it hurts but the front where it originates.
“SON”
Son what can one do to bridge the gap with the police officers when you don’t have money to give them? What ever information or assistance you give to them its only a matter of time before the Dons hear about and come for u.So it all gos right back to being able to trust the police officers, and for them to know who their allegiance is with, the citizens or the Dons.Their are Dons in that community who have proven to be a nuisance ,and where are the police in all of this ?Im sure they have heard about it but i guess no one has paid them as yet to deal with this problem.
I always have the fundamental belief that if you fix the police force you fix Jamaica. The police have a lot to do with it….they MUST uphold the law. I agree with you, it’s disappointing to think we cannot trust the police. Don’t you think something is drastically wrong when crooked Politian’s, Cops and Don’s are sucking the life and prosperity out of our country? Maybe I shouldn’t hijack someone else’s post for my crusade of a crime free Jamaica. It’s hurtful and sad to see our country become the modern day wild, wild west. A country of gun slingers. Good to see that we can have a difference of opinion without me wanting to kill you
….
I keep hearing that the JCF is bad and by now I have to believe that JCF stands for “Jamaica Corrupt Force”. Let’s face it, why cant the government take a stand and form a new police force and “drastically” phase out the current force. From following the news I see that many of the senior officers who control some critical sections of the JCF are white British men. If they can have foreigners controlling these important divisions of the force, then they can start recruiting white officers to perform the regular day to day duties on the street. I am not saying white is better and I know for a fact that they are not. But just to adapt a new path and a new culture, drastic changes are needed. On a more local note, there are many Jamaicans who are honest and can become good policemen, these persons should be encouraged to join a new police department while the current JCF is phased out. I am positive that this can work because the current policy of recruiting and training new officers then sending them out to be “stained” by the current bad officers is “self perpetuating” the corruption. One other thing, the section of the police force that currently manages “professional conduct” in the JCF (which is led by an Irish) should interview every serving member and ask them two simple questions: Are you involved in corruption? Do you know any police officer who is involved in corruption? Follow up questions can be asked according to how these two first questions are answered and if the officers are answering the questions honestly the truth will come out and steps can be taken to not only dismiss but arrest and charge the officers who are committing crimes. This is a good way to start and to make it even easier, they can start with the officers that have already been named as being involved in corruption and followed by the other officers who are stationed with them whose names are not associated with corruption but should be able to say something as to what they know because they all work together. We love our counrty and we want it to be safe for all. Peace and love.
Rightly said, i couln’t agree more
People admit that there are some bad people out there willing to stop at nothing to get what they want,as for them having a gun why have a gun if you don’t intend to use it,maybe your family member or yourself could be on the receiving end of one of those bullets,think about that.you know it’s easy to say this person was like this or that but who can swear that they are not involved in some shady business.Put your neck on the block for people you might end up lose it.Did you know that people are mostly killed by people they know,who you would least expect.
and your point is??????????????????
What seems to bother me here is that everyone is bashing the Jamaica Constabulary force. Don’t get me wrong, am no fan of the JCF, but none of you could tell me that a country technical not at war (except within) and with a murder rate of 1600+ (not including police killing) is normal. This is a disgrace to all Jamaicans in Jamaica and abroad.
What scares me the most is the fact that you cannot walk down the street without the fear of been robbed or shot. What Jamaica need is not just a change in the corrupted JCF (yes there are some members of the JCF who are corrupt), but a cultural change. Jamaicans seem to think getting a gun and kill someone because of a difference of opinion is the only option. Come on!!!
We all have to be blamed, from the rich to the poor, the young to the old, and the entertainers who are influencing the kids with their songs about bullet-in-the-head and shooting people. We need to stop GLORYFING KILLING AND GUNS.
Are there members of the JCF who’s corrupt? – Yes
Do we have to accept it? – No
History dictates that when there is oppression and tyranny there are always a few who stand up and fight. We don’t need guns to fight. We need villages, towns, cities, churches and schools to organize peace rallies, marches, phone/write their MP’s, the Prime Minister, Justice Minister and the opposition members, and let them know we will not accept it any longer.
This is how we can change Jamaica, not by killing each other.
Here are some murder statistics: You be the judge!
Toronto, Canada: Population 2.5 million, Murder rate in 2008: 70
New York City, USA: Population: 8.2 million, murder in 2008: 516
Los Angeles, USA: Population: 3.8 million, murder in 2008: 381
Chicago, USA: Population: 2.8 million, murder in 2008: 509
London, England: Population 7.5 million, murder rate in 2008: 170
Bagdad, Iraq: Population 6 million, murder rate in 2008: 2880 (in a country at war)
Jamaica, population: 2.8 million, murder rate in 2008: 1611
Trinidad & Tobago: 1.1 million, murder rate in 2008: 550
Son
I agrees with some of your comments but what i still think is that you are predjurdice and you really needs to be realistic.
If the head of the stream is dirty then the bottom of the river must be muddy .
Every time ive come through the Airport there are so many metal detectors that you have to pass through and so many Securities, their isnt any “Gun Shop” in Jamaica,so who bring these guns there??????
How are these guns smuggled in the country in the first place?because you know what all it need is to cover the Airport and the Wharves and Job is done. Do you beleive any small fish can perform these kind of operation? no its” Big Fish”
These Ministers who called themselves so-called Politicions they are the ones who are gloryfying killings and guns ,and Son! you need to check your spellings before you make your comments. These Politicions and these Dons needs to stop appointing and bribing these so-called Law men to do their dirty works because they got their money power.to much licky licky so-called law men are in Jamaica , i use to live there so i know the score.
Petrina,
I don’t see how you think that am prejudice, please enlighten me. I apologize for my Sunday school education and spelling but you haven’t done much better yourself (predjurdice , Politicions), Anyway no problem I will do my best to be politely correct and improve my spelling
. Glad to see someone at least agree with some of my comments.
@Wisdom no point just a thought we can debate on who’s worse police or gunman but a gun in the hand of an evil person equals same result.