Cops defuse tense stand-off with ex-soldier
Published:Wednesday | November 3, 2021 | 12:11 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
A close relative has disclosed that help was being sought from as early as last Thursday for a now-hospitalised former Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier after he began exhibiting signs of strange behaviour.
The former army man, who is believed to be suffering from a mental illness, reportedly engaged cops in a shoot-out yesterday afternoon after they responded to reports that he had been firing shots at neighbours inside the Cumberland Meadows housing scheme in Portmore, St Catherine.
One constable was reportedly injured in the incident.
“From last week Thursday, him a behave funny. Him just start cuss and a mek pure noise,” the relative told The Gleaner yesterday.
The woman said that the family immediately contacted the ex-soldier’s mother for assistance.
“She say she was going to bring his brother,” the relative indicated, adding that the man has two brothers in the army.
She said that she was unaware that the 35-year-old man was in possession of his firearm as she believed one of his brothers would have taken the weapon following his recent antics.
Head of the St Catherine South Police Division, Christopher Phillips, told The Gleaner that several shot were fired at the neighbours and the police responded.
“When the team reached the location, they were also fired on. The suspect ran into the house and locked himself in the house. A child was involved; his daughter was there with him. So they were both in the house, so we had to treat with it differently,” he said.
That is when a SWAT team was called in to assist.
“After a period of intense negotiation and so on, and with the assistance of his wife, we were able to bring the situation under control,” Phillips told The Gleaner.
Phillips described the situation as “pretty unfortunate”, adding that an investigation be launched into how the man came by the weapon and under what condition he was allowed to have it.
“We are happy that we were able to bring this situation under control and that is a plus for us,” he added.
Phillips told The Gleaner that the child, who was engaged in online school inside the home, was traumatised.
Visibly shaken neighbours and bystanders soon converged at the scene, trying to fathom what transpired in the usually quiet neighbourhood.
Many were seen hugging and crying, expressing relief that no life was lost.
A 9mm loaded with 21 rounds was reportedly retrieved and the suspect taken into custody.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.