Hanover, Jamaica — Rushawn Patterson, the man accused of the 2022 murder of social media influencer Aneka ‘Slickianna’ Townsend, was shot by police during an alleged confrontation in Hanover on Tuesday morning, according to law enforcement officials.
Patterson, who was out on bail, was scheduled to appear in court on October 15. The incident reportedly took place around 5:40 a.m., though the police have yet to release detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Patterson was initially arrested on November 2, 2022, during a high-level police operation. This followed the discovery of Townsend’s body floating in the sea in Reading, St James, on October 21 of the same year. A post-mortem examination conducted on November 5 revealed that Townsend had been strangled, leading to Patterson being formally charged with her murder on November 11.
Police reports indicate that Townsend had traveled from Kingston to Montego Bay on October 20, 2022. She was reportedly picked up by Patterson, and the two visited a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St James. It was during that night that an argument allegedly ensued, resulting in Townsend being strangled and her body subsequently disposed of.
The investigation into the shooting incident involving Patterson is ongoing, with authorities expected to provide further updates as more information becomes available.
