Police fatal shootings more than double compared to January 2024

  

The number of people killed in confrontation with the police more than doubled for January 2025 when compared with the similar period in 2024.

 

Following three separate fatal shooting incidents on Thursday, a total 28 people have been fatally shot by the police since the start of this year, compared with 13 in January 2024.

 

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) says of the three latest incidents, two occured in St. Mary and one in St. Catherine.

 

Those killed have been identified as 32-year-old Jhevaughn Peart, 21-year-old Kevaughn Williams and 27-year-old Joseph Williamson.

 

INDECOM says one man was fatally shot in each of the three incidents, and a total four firearms recovered.

 

The commission says no body-worn cameras were reported as being issued or worn by the officers in any of the three incidents.

 

It says the hands of those killed have been swabbed for gunshot residue.

 

According to INDECOM, the concerned officers provided initial accounts and were served with Section 21 Notices, pursuant to the Independent Commission of Investigations Act, 2010, to submit statements and attend interviews. 

 

 

Meanwhile, criminologist and security expert Dr. Jason McKay believes the surge in police fatal shootings is in response to the increased threat of guns and gangs to public safety. 

 

"There is a very, very significant crime problem going on. Over a thousand people were killed last year. This year, there has been a surge which the law enforcement is required to combat. The reason why you have more fatal shootings is because the persons are not surrendering. They are firing at the police and the police are defending themselves. Superior training, superior weaponry is what is going to determine who wins and who loses, and with any combat."

 

Dr. McKay warned that with the number of weapons in the country, Jamaica runs the risk of being under siege like Haiti if the police pull back on their operations. 

 

"The amount of operations drives the amount of fatalities. That's really where the mathematical computation should come in. How much operations took place last year January versus how much operations took place this year January? What was the level of armaments of the persons last year January and the level of armoury that they have this year?" he reasoned. 

 

The security expert said the direction in which the figures trend will be dictated by how criminal elements respond to the authorities. 

 

"A lot of times, the culture changes with criminals when they realise something isn't working. So if they realise that every time they challenge the police the superior training is winning, then maybe they will stop. You don't want to hear 28 police officer's killed in a month because they didn't fire back," he suggested.