St. Catherine police ambush leaves officer dead and child injured

A violent confrontation between the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and gunmen in the Six Miles/Sligoville area of St. Catherine has resulted in the death of a police corporal and injuries to several others, including a child.

During a special operations mission early Friday morning, law enforcement officers reportedly came under fire from individuals barricaded inside a residence. Reports indicate that gunmen utilized a child as a decoy, feigning a surrender to lure officers into a vulnerable position. The engagement left Corporal Trevoy Shaw fatally shot, while a second officer remains in critical condition and a third was injured.

A 10-year-old girl was caught in the exchange of gunfire and was transported to Spanish Town Hospital in serious but stable condition. Two men were also killed during the shootout.

The advocacy group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) expressed deep concern regarding the injury of the minor and is awaiting the results of an independent investigation by the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom). The JCF has launched a manhunt to identify the perpetrators.