The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE family of the 36-year-old woman who was accidentally shot by an officer on Saturday say they plan to take legal action against the police for negligence.

Precious Curry was injured outside her home on Exuma Street after a police chase ended in shots being fired in the residential area, resulting in a single bullet hitting both of her legs.

The bullet has since been removed, her husband Tony Curry told The Tribune yesterday.

Mr Curry said he had just arrived home from work when the shooting incident occurred.

He said he was upstairs unwinding when their ten-year-old daughter came to him crying and said, “Mummy got shot.”

Mr Curry said their daughter was outside with his wife when the shots rang out.

“I just got off from work. I heard it right upstairs when my daughter came crying and saying, ‘Mummy got shot’. All in my head I was thinking like, don’t tell me someone try to rob my wife and shoot her,” he told The Tribune.

“That’s all I was thinking in my head when I was running downstairs and I saw her on the floor like bleeding and I asking her what happened and she ain’t saying nothing and there was a look in her eyes.”

According to preliminary police reports, shortly before 8pm officers were patrolling the Blue Hill Road and Coconut Grove Avenue areas when they observed the occupant of a silver coloured vehicle driving in a reckless manner.

Police said they beckoned for the driver to stop, but he sped off and a chase followed as a result.

“The vehicle eventually came to a stop at the intersection of Amos Ferguson Street and Balfour Avenue. A male then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. He was pursued by the officers,” police reported.

While in pursuit, one of the officers observed the suspect removing an object from his waist and, being in fear for his life, discharged shots in the suspect’s direction.

The suspect was subsequently caught unharmed and a pistol was also recovered by officers at the scene.

However, shortly afterwards, a woman who was standing outside her home during the incident “complained of receiving injuries consistent with gunshot wounds to her legs,” police said.

She was taken to hospital, where she is listed in stable condition with non-threatening injuries, police added.

Well wishes for a speedy recovery have steadily poured out on social media for Mrs Curry, who is a popular hairstylist.

“Honestly, the world knows her and the police made a mistake to the wrong one,” her husband added. “The world knows my wife. She’s a very famous person and she’s in the hospital right now with her injuries but she’s right now worrying about everyone else. She’s not worrying about herself right now, but everyone at home.”

The couple have six children, two of whom are Mrs Curry’s biological children. Mr Curry said while the family expects for her to recover, the incident has left everyone visibly shaken.

He said he plans to take their children to counselling.

“I’m going to take them to counselling all of them, especially the daughter because she was there on the side of her when she got shot. She was directly on the side of her and like I said, thank God the bullet stopped in that leg because our girl might’ve gotten hit too,” he said.

Earlier this month, police killed a man after he allegedly assaulted an elderly lady and shot a young man who followed him.

Cell phone video of the incident showed at least three police officers on the roof of a house shooting down at the suspect as bystanders assembled in the area. At least 19 shots could be heard in the clip.

National Security Minister Marvin Dames has previously warned young men who may feel driven to shoot at police to reconsider, saying doing so would be “at their own peril.”