A mother’s advice
by Maria Bradshaw (www.nationnews.com)
A MOTHER WHOSE SON was shot and killed by the police two years ago is advising the Maloney family to ask for police from outside to investigate what happened to I’Akobi Maloney, who died in the presence of police officers near Cove Bay, St Lucy, last month.
Joycelyn Ellis, who knew the 23 year-old Maloney and also attended his funeral, said his death brought back memories of her son’s.
“I went to I’Akobi’s family and I told them not to accept what the police are telling them because it will come to the same thing as my son if they don’t do something. I tell them to bring in somebody from outside because when my son died the police told me all kinds of things.”
Ellis, 49, is still haunted by her son’s death and despite the coroner recording an open verdict in the case, she said her mind and heart would never be at peace until she got closure.
Her son, 34-year-old Kevin Ellis, was shot by police in the chest on October 11, 2006, after they saw him riding a bicycle along Hastings Road, Christ Church, and confronted him. According to police reports, he was carrying a black bag and when stopped by the police he resisted a search and allegedly drew a gun, which turned out to be an imitation.
But the mother, who still has all the police statements, said she was still very suspicious about her son’s death. She said during the coroner’s inquest there were a number of discrepancies in the evidence of witnesses while the key eyewitness never appeared to give evidence and police said he could not be found.
With tears streaming down her face, Ellis stated: “My son lost his life real stupid. All he was doing was picking up bottles.
“I does pray a lot but I still have a lot of hurt and anger in me. I know the Lord said to forgive but I would not have to go through all of this if the truth was told from the beginning.”
She said up to this day the police had not handed over her son’s bicycle, the bag and his other belongings to her.
“The case finished since April and I still cannot get my son’s things.”
Ellis admitted that she was making herself ill thinking about her son every day and she displayed his favourite T-shirt which she slept in every night.
She said his father who lived in Canada had three heart attacks since Kevin’s death and died earlier this year.
“It was hurting him too. Kevin was his only child,” she stated as she flipped through several photographs of Kevin through the years.
“I know that I will never get justice for my son’s death. I do not have anybody like the Maloneys to fight for me. My son did not have a degree. He was just picking up bottles – he was a low life so nobody cared if he died”.
Tags: Coroner, inquest, investigations, Joycelyn Ellis, Maloney, police, shot