‘Rapid response’ to shooting at Jamaica House entrance – police
Published:Thursday | January 11, 2024 | 12:11 AMLivern Barrett/Senior Staff Reporter
The police are defending their response to a daring early morning robbery at the entrance to Jamaica House yesterday during which two men, including the son of a prominent businessman, were shot and injured.
Jamaica House is the office of the country’s head of government.
The two men were robbed of cash and jewellery about 3:01 a.m. when they stopped at the Hope Road entrance to change a flat tyre on the high-end vehicle in which they were travelling, according to police sources.
They were treated at hospital and released hours later.
The Gleaner has opted not to publish their names.
The police say investigators are “rigorously” pursuing all leads to identify the perpetrators.
“Investigators have secured CCTV footage that may be pivotal to the investigation,” the police said.
The incident triggered wide public discussion, especially about the response time by the police.
But in a statement yesterday, the police said the robbery was “interrupted” about 3:02 a.m. following the response by cops assigned to the security post at Jamaica House who responded to explosions they heard.
One of the responding cops discharged six bullets at the fleeing robbers, law-enforcement sources told The Gleaner last night.
A team from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) was dispatched to the location about 4:11 a..m., the police disclosed.
It is standard operating procedure for INDECOM, which has oversight responsibility for the security forces, to be called to a scene when a cop fires his weapon.
The statement from the police said a patrol team from the St Andrew Central Division arrived at the location at 3:16 a.m., seven minutes after the robbery was reported to the Police Emergency Communication Centre.
Upon their arrival, the police said one of the victims was assisted by cops into a private vehicle and “promptly” taken to hospital.
The other victim, who had fled the scene during the shooting, was located shortly after “and also received emergency medical care”.
“The JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] emphasises the rapid response and comprehensive action taken by all its units involved, demonstrating our commitment to public safety and our responsiveness to criminal activities,” the statement said.
Further, the police said victim support and investigative procedures were initiated “immediately” to ensure the well-being of the victims and the integrity of the crime scene.
“Victim details and the current state of their health have been provided to the families, and necessary support systems are in place for their recovery.”
The police are asking members of the public who have information about the robbery to come forward “as we work to bring the perpetrators to justice”.