Buju eulogised as a caring mother and woman of substance

Western Bureau:
Residents of Granville, ST James, were out in their numbers on Sunday, paying their last respects to Latoya ‘Buju’ Bulgin, the woman who was killed in a controversial police shooting on May 17.
The tributes that flowed inside the Pitfour Gospel Chapel, where the funeral was held, and joyful music provided by the Granville Marching Band, captured the essence of the 45-year-old Bulgin as a woman of substance in her community. However, it was the tribute from her son that brought into focus the tremendous loss to her family.
According to her son, who relatives asked not be identified by name, Bulgin was a devoted mother who took her responsibilities seriously, as she never fell short in loving and providing, a task she managed almost single-handedly.
“When we need support, she was always there for us … . She always tak ecare of us,” her son said, as the emotional impact of the occasion took its toll, causing him to fight back tears.
“She was not one to depend on others for support … . Nobody nah call her and ask her if she good or if the pickney dem good.
“Mi grandfather and mi father, we link her up once in a blue moon. Since we get big, [my father] kinda deh inna we life. But the truth is, she a mi mother and she a mi father,” he said, noting that his mother was loving but strict and did not encourage laziness.
Other mourners described Bulgin as a strong woman who was not afraid to speak her mind, and came across as intimidating at times. 
However, there was no question that she enjoyed a tremendous amount of goodwill in the community. The tears that flowed as residents filed by her gold-and-white coffin captured the love and respect she enjoyed in the community.
Some cried,It appeared, through the interaction of the attendees, some strongly believed that her killing was unjustified, and it was clear that the call for justice would not end with her funeral.
“Buju never deserve that bullet that killed her, and so, as a community, we will continue to fight for the justice that she deserved,” one resident told The Gleaner. “Nobody can say we lying about what happened. It was all captured on CCTV and the whole Jamaica saw what happened.”
In the aftermath of the shooting, Marlene Malahoo Forte, the member of parliament for St James West Central, and Michael Troupe, the councillor for the Granville Division in the St James Municipal Corporation, both expressed grave concerns about the incident and called for the interdiction of Constable Andrew Wilson, the policeman accused of firing the fatal shot. 
Within hours of the incident, Wilson was interdicted and was subsequently charged with murder. The case is now before the St James Circuit Court. After being denied bail at his first court appearance, he has since been offered bail in the sum of J$1 million, He is to return to court on October 9.
Following the funeral, Bulgin’s body was interred under a heavy police presence at the Dovecot Memorial parkof St James Memorial Gardens, also in St James. However, the heavy police presence was considered intimidatory by many attendees, including popular social media personality Marvin ‘Likke Fire’ Edgar.
“Her life was taken by the security forces. And then the police dem come here with mask and come tell the pastor that him haffi lock off now. When me see more than 40 police come a one funeral, weh a dem colleague kill de woman… unoo neva come and seh, ‘Mek wi keep the peace’, unoo come with high-powered rifle, pure high-powered rifle and mask.”
adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com