KINGSTON, Jamaica — An early-morning police operation in Jack’s Hill, St Andrew turned deadly on Monday when five men were fatally shot during what investigators describe as an armed confrontation.
Detectives from the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (CTOC) say they were acting on intelligence that armed men were gathering at a premises in the hillside community. According to a preliminary report, officers came under fire as they approached the location and returned fire in self-defence.
When the exchange ended, five suspects lay dead. Their identities are being withheld pending formal identification and notification of relatives. CTOC investigators recovered four unlicensed firearms at the scene and have launched a forensic analysis to determine whether the weapons are linked to other crimes.
Senior law-enforcement officials have ordered an independent probe, standard procedure after any police-involved shooting. Meanwhile, residents have been urged to share any information that might aid the investigation through the Police Emergency number 119 or the Stay Alert app.
More details will follow as the inquiry progresses.
