When the media initially reported the early morning robbery and shooting that occurred on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, near Jamaica House, the authorities were tight-lipped about the details of the incident.

However, just a day after a popular vlogger published sensational, eyebrow-raising details about the incident on his YouTube channel, the Gleaner released a story sourced by the police, titled: ‘Rapid response’ to shooting at Jamaica House entrance that seemed to contradict the vlogger’s narrative.

In the Gleaner report, the police claimed that one of the responding cops fired six bullets at the fleeing robbers. A team from INDECOM was sent to the location at about 4:11 a.m., supposedly as standard procedure for INDECOM, which oversees the security forces, to be called to a scene when a cop fires his weapon. However, it seems that this may not be entirely accurate. INDECOM’s supposed duties involving the police are as follows:

• Investigating actions that result in death or injury to people
• Investigating actions that result in the abuse of people’s rights

‘Rapid response’ to shooting at Jamaica House entrance – police

“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 jewelry at about 3:01 a.m. when they stopped at the Hope Road entrance to change a flat tire on the high-end vehicle in which they were traveling, according to police sources.

They were treated at the 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 broad public discussion, especially about the response time by the police.

But in a statement yesterday, the police said the robbery was “interrupted” at 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 at 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.” Gleaner