A senior policeman has expressed reluctance in condemning colleagues captured on CCTV dragging a woman from an incident scene in Granville, St James, moments after she was shot in the chest by a policeman – footage that has sparked outrage over what residents described as “heartless” and “inhumane” treatment.

Latoya ‘Buju’ Bulgin, 45, was pulled from her vehicle, dragged along the ground before officers tossed her into the back of a police service van. The footage carried no audio, but at least one onlooker could be seen screaming as the incident unfolded.

Still, the policeman, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said there are factors the public may not fully appreciate.