He knew he was stuck in a rut. He needed to get out of there. He needed to find a challenge.
He walked over to the window seat in the alcove and turned on the television again. CNN flashed on. He saw Wolf Blitzer was filling in for someone and he heard his voice ask the reporter from Washington what he was learning.
“Well, Wolf, Marcel Brown arrived at Washington Dulles International earlier today and he was transported to a holding cell in the city to be read the charges against him.”
“How is he going to plead?”
“So far, we’ve learned nothing on that count, as he does not have an attorney. It seems the case is so sensitive no attorney here will touch it. But we have received a letter from the Brown’s attorney in Kingston, Jamaica and he has informed us that his offices have submitted a formal letter to the Privy Council in England requesting that Mr. Brown be immediately released and returned to Jamaica. He claims the FBI has no right to enter a foreign country and arrested a local person on foreign charges.”
“Is he correct about that? Did the FBI have no right? And why would he write to England to fight his extradition?”
“Well, Wolf, Jamaica is a part of the Commonwealth and the Queen of England is the head of state. The Privy Council is the highest court of appeal and the attorney probably thought they might be more helpful to him than the local government. As for the FBI having the right, maybe what Marcel Brown’s lawyer isn’t aware of is the fact that extradition orders were issued to and have sat with the Jamaican Government for the alleged ‘Kingpin’ since 2009.
“Marcel’s gang has been a thorn in the side of law enforcement on the East Coast for the better part of two decades; one of the most notorious gangs in United States history. They’re aggressive and resilient in their bid for territory in which to distribute the massive amounts of marijuana and cocaine they have coming in from the Caribbean and as they’ve gained footing in New York and New Jersey, they’ve also become known for their crude and vicious techniques of eradicating their competition.
“Until now, Marcel has remained virtually untouchable, keeping a low profile and high security around him as he remained entrenched in his home community in Inner City, Kingston. He preferred to send out others to do his dirty work and he did so very effectively through enforcers and soldiers who ran his operations in every major city up and down the Eastern seaboard.
“Drugs, guns, extortion, you name it; Marcel Brown is accused of having a finger in it, without ever entering the U.S. for any extended period of time. That was why it had been so hard for the authorities to get their hands on him. How could they? He was safely tucked away in one of the most volatile neighborhoods in the world.”
Wolf took over again.
“Meanwhile, we hear reports coming from Jamaica that the arrest has caused serious conflict between rival gangs.”
Donovan only half-watched the news and took his coffee back to his desk. He looked through the case load that was coming in this morning, but he found nothing interesting. Sedakis needed help again, but it was routine stuff. Morris, his neighbor, needed his help sorting out something with a copyright issue. He had cheated some writer out of royalties for a decade and the guy was getting angry.
His mind kept drifting. His mind drifted to the events of the past weeks again and he decided enough was enough. He thought about the news item he had just heard and he Googled the name he had heard. He skipped the first search results until he found an article from a local paper.
THE JAMAICA GLEANER
May 24, 2010
HEADLINE: Attack On State - Police Stations Set Ablaze Cop Shot Civilian Slain
Violence rocked sections of the West Kingston area throughout the day yesterday. Armed men brazenly took on the security forces in sustained attacks on police stations in anticipation of the apprehension of Inner City don, Marcel ‘Moses’ Brown. Four police stations came under attack; a civilian succumbed to gunshot wounds during an assault on the Fletcher's Land Police Station; and a policeman sustained a minor gunshot injury.
The Prime Minister said last night that two members of the security forces had been injured, but The Gleaner could not confirm the second case.
There were indications before dawn broke that something was afoot – five days after the Washington DC Supreme Court issued a warrant for Brown's arrest.
A Gleaner team observed a large convoy of Jamaica Defense Force vehicles – including armored trucks – with soldiers heading into Kingston along the Michael Manley Boulevard.
The tension, which simmered under the surface of day to day life throughout West Kingston, reached its boiling point yesterday as gunmen loyal to Brown came out in a show of support. Even as the security forces seemed to retreat as the day wore on, gunshots rang out and rained down until the early hours of the morning, causing residents in political strongholds to scurry for cover.
Darling Street & Denham Town Police Station
Early in the day, soldiers attempted to remove roadblocks of old cars and refrigerators which were mounted with increasing frequency in the areas surrounding Darling Street. Within an hour, the Darling Street Police Station came under attack. In the absence of strong opposition from local Constabulary Forces, the gunmen grew bold. By the afternoon, they progressed through the city’s ghetto and the Denham Town police station became the next target.
Hannah Town Police Station
Shots have been fired on the Hannah Town Police Station, forcing personnel to be evacuated. Armed thugs looted the empty station, removing computers and other equipment before razing the west wing of the building to the ground.
Downtown Medical Facilities
Medical staff at the nearby Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and Victoria Jubilee Hospital have been put on alert. The unending sounds of gunshots punctured the air surrounding the two compounds. Medical staff have been abandoning their posts at both locations as they seek cover and safety.
Constabulary Forces have been dispatched to both locations to provide security, but the shots have not ceased in nearby Hannah Town and Denham Town.
Injured Officers and Civilians
It has been confirmed that an armored police vehicle brought the Police Commissioner, Owen Ellington to the KPH gun trauma unit. He released a statement that confirmed he was shot in the hand. The Commissioner’s condition is not considered serious.
A white Toyota Town Ace minivan brought a man into the Accident and Emergency Unit in critical condition. It was understood that gunmen sprayed his vehicle as they attacked the Fletcher's Land Police Station, hitting the occupant multiple times in the chest. He later died at the hospital. The police did not release his name.
The Police Commissioner said yesterday that the security forces would respond in an appropriate manner. “It is now clear that criminal elements are determined to launch coordinated attacks on our security forces,” he said in his statement. “The JCF wishes to advise the public that these attacks are unprovoked and coincide with our efforts to lawfully serve the public,” he added.
The Prime Minister has condemned the ‘calculated assault on our local authorities.’ A limited state of emergency has been put into effect with a curfew in West Kingston areas. He vowed that the security forces will use any force necessary to counter these thugs who have wreaked havoc on the capital.