A post mortem conducted on businessman Keith Clarke, has revealed that he was shot 20 times during a recent operation conducted by the security forces on May 27.
The report documented 20 entry wounds with similar exit wounds. Clarke received one shot in his face, one in his stomach, three in his right arm and 15 bullet holes in his left back, which the report said 'decimated' his heart and lungs. Clarke also had a wound on his forehead
Jamaicans for Justice Executive Director, Dr Carolyn Gomes who saw a copy of the report told the Gleaner that the wounds in his hand appeared to be defensive. She also said that she did not receive any reports that Clarke had his licensed firearm on him or fired it when he was killed.
"How can you defend something like that?" Gomes who has pursued several cases of alleged extra-judicial killings asked.
In the meanwhile the family of Clarke is calling on public defender, Earl Witter to investigate the incident urgently and thoroughly.
A letter written to the Office of the Public Defender obtained by the Gleaner asked for a determination into "how this brutal and unlawful event could have occurred" and to assist the Clarke family to "obtain every legal remedy available under the Constitution and the laws of Jamaica."
Clarke - the brother of former government minister Claude Clarke - was fatally shot inside his house in the upscale St Andrew neighbourhood during an operation where members of the security forces had gone in search of drug baron Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
Four members of the army were reportedly shot in the more-than-two-hour-long shooting incident, but neither Coke nor any of his cronies was held. Members of the police force and the army involved the death of Clarke, have been taken off front-line duties.
In a joint statement released afterwards Police Commissioner Owen Ellington and head of the Jamaica Defence Force Major General Stewart Saunders expressed regret at the death of the businessman and the other persons killed since operations were launched to capture Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
"The Police High Command wishes to assure the family, relatives, friends and colleagues of Mr Clarke and the entire nation, that a swift, thorough and professional investigation will be conducted into the matter so that the truth will be exposed and appropriate action taken," Ellington said at the time.