From RJR News

Police Constable Collis “Chucky” Brown has been sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction in the so-called Clarendon police “death squad” trial. 

He is to serve 51 years behind bars before becoming eligible for parole. 

Constable Brown was convicted on November 15 last year of three counts of murder, conspiracy to murder and wounding with intent. 

During the sentencing hearing in the Home Circuit Court Friday afternoon, Constable Brown’s attorney, Norman Godfrey, urged judge Viviene Harris to be lenient.  

Mr. Godfrey declared that the cop was a “sacrificial lamb”. 

However, in passing sentence, Justice Harris said police officers cannot take the law into their hands by being, judge, jury and executioner despite the high crime rate. 

She said, instead of upholding the law, Constable Brown embarked on a process to kill persons accused of being criminals. 

The judge said Constable Brown was part of what she called “contrived police fatal shootings”. 

She said firearms were planted at the scenes and statements prepared to cover up and deceive the public. 

Justice Harris said the policeman’s actions have brought the Jamaica Constabulary Force and law enforcement into disrepute. 

She added that it was shocking what took place. 

Prosecutors reported that between 2009 and 2012, Constable Brown was a member of a “death squad” linked to the fatal shooting of  Demoy “Gutty” Dawkins, Dwayne Douglas and Andrew Fearon. 

Prosecutors relied heavily on interviews Constable Brown gave to  investigators of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) about his involvement in the death squad. 

He told INDECOM that he and other police personnel in Clarendon were recruited to the “death squad” with the full backing of members of the Police High Command. 

In the tapes which were played at his trial, Constable Brown said the death squad was formed to target criminals in Clarendon as part of  an anti-crime crackdown.  

Since his arrest in 2013, more than a dozen members of the force have been charged for being part of the “death squad”.

For more on this story go to: http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/constable-chucky-brown-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-death-squad-involvement