Placard-bearing residents of the Fletcher's Land and Church Street communities, downtown Kingston, descended on The Gleaner's North Street offices yesterday, protesting the shooting by police of a 16-year-old schoolboy from the area. -Dennis Coke

NEARLY 200 placard-bearing residents of Fletcher's Land and Church Street, downtown Kingston, converged on The Gleaner's North Street offices yesterday, protesting against the shooting-death by police of a 16-year-old from their community.

Residents said Shaheed Graham, a student of the Kingston Comprehensive High School, was shot and injured by the police while riding his bicycle along Church Street at about 11:30 a.m. He reportedly bled to death, having waited for nearly two hours without medical attention at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) .

A young woman, who said she was an eyewitness, told The Gleaner that Graham sped up when the police approached and was shot in the back after he refused to stop on their instructions.

The police report, contradicted statements from the residents. The Kingston Central Police reported that Graham was shot after he pulled a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol from his waist after being instructed by the police to raise his hands.

A release from the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) said a police party was on patrol in the Fletcher's Land area about 11:30 a.m. when they spotted a young man sitting on a bicycle at the intersection of Garrick and Love Lanes. The CCN said the police observed a bulge in his waist and instructed him to raise his hands. Instead, he pulled a firearm from his waistband and was shot by the police.

The firearm and eight rounds of ammunition were recovered, said CCN. He was taken to the KPH where he succumbed to his injuries at about 2:30 p.m. Police Commissioner, Francis Forbes, has ordered the Bureau of Special Investigation to commence immediate investigation into the incident.