Tommy Lee Sparta Named As Person Of Interest By St James Police
Dancehall artiste Tommy Lee Sparta was on Monday (July 6) named as a person of interest by police in St. James.
The police made the revelation in a release noting that the dancehall entertainer, whose real name is Leroy Russell, should make contact with them before July 7.
Police further said that Russell is being asked to make contact with detectives at the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay, St James, by midday Tuesday, July 7.
The dancehall artiste recently denounced gun violence on social media noting that violence was not the answer as he made reference to the shooting incident involving fellow artiste Rygin King, who remains in hospital nursing gunshot wounds.
“Violence is not the solution! Unity will make our land a better place. Speedy recovery bro @ryginking !. Blessings goes out to you and your family,” said Tommy Lee Sparta on his Instagram.
Police sources say the singer is wanted for questioning in relation to the upsurge in violence in Flanker, St. James.
Sparta’s daughter, who is believed to be under the age of ten, was shot by a stray bullet in March in the Flanker community. She survived the shooting, along with another six-year-old who was shot, but a nine-year-old boy was killed.
According to the police report, the Flanker incident stemmed from a dispute between three men. The ensuing argument between the trio led to a shootout, in which the third man was hit when the other two men drew their weapons.
In what was believed to be a reprisal on the day after that shooting, gunmen shot and killed a man identified as ‘Eggie.’
The community was placed on lockdown three days later as police and military searched house-to-house for illegal guns and gangsters, according to the Gleaner.
Tensions between rival factions in the community have since drastically increased.
“Every likkle thing wah Gwaan A Flankers, Dem want to interrogate the man like a him run everywhere,” said one of many like-minded Tommy Lee fans on Instagram in response to the news today.
This is not the first time Tommy Lee has been listed as a person of interest in a police investigation. The deejay even has a 2017 song called Person Of Interest.
Another user said, “Well, guess what people! Whether you do bad or not. As long as you affiliate yourself with it, your name gonna call. Stay clear from drama and stay close to your music you are a very talented artiste stick to that”
“Might as well change his name from Sparta to person of interest at this point,” another added.
Another Dancehall artiste Dexta Daps was detained on April 8 following an upsurge in violence in the South St. Andrew area and his home community of Seaview Gardens. Daps was held without charge for three weeks before his release on April 30.