Eight individuals suspected of involvement in the contract killing of a man in Portland on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, are set to undergo a series of identification parades.
The men, residents of the Hundred Lane community in St. Andrew, are accused of the murder of Orlando Louden, also known as ‘Spraga’, in Fairy Hill, Portland.
Mr. Louden was fatally shot in his community by a group of armed men on the aforementioned date. Shortly after, the Portland police intercepted three vehicles transporting the suspected perpetrators and seized two illegal firearms believed to be the murder weapons.
Investigators have highlighted the nature of Mr. Louden’s murder as a contract killing.
Off-Duty JCF Member Charged with Imitation Gun Possession in Trelawny.
TRELAWNY, Jamaica: Police arrested and charged an off-duty member of the JCF after they found him in possession of an imitation gun during a routine checkpoint in Trelawny.
The accused, identified as Jason Harris, a 32-year-old constable from Grove Road, St Andrew, was charged with the possession of a prohibited weapon.
According to the Falmouth police, they set up a vehicular checkpoint along the Rock main road on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at approximately 8:20 a.m. During the routine search of a vehicle and its occupants, law enforcement officers found an imitation firearm in Harris’ waistband.
Harris was later arrested and charged by the police.
Arrest Made in Threat Against Prime Minister Video Case.
Police have reportedly arrested the ‘masked man’ who threatened Prime Minister Andrew Holness in a social media video. Garfield Ross, 21, from Bloomfield Street, Mandeville, Manchester, has been identified as the suspect.
The police carried out a raid at his home, during which he allegedly tried to escape and ended up injuring himself. He was then taken to the hospital, treated, and released.
This incident followed the Prime Minister’s announcement of an ‘all-out assault’ on gangs after a mass shooting in Clarendon. A video featuring a masked individual making derogatory remarks about the Prime Minister, his wife Juliet, and Clarendon residents emerged the day after the announcement.
The sequence of events certainly raises questions about the situation and the actions taken by the authorities.
TRAFFIC COLLISION IN PORTLAND LEAVES FIVE INJURED
Authorities have confirmed a serious two-vehicle collision on the Orange Bay main road in Portland on Friday, August 16, 2024. Passersby acted swiftly to transport five injured individuals, including a young child, to the hospital.
One of those providing assistance was East Portland Member of Parliament Ann-Marie Vaz, who personally assisted in the transportation of the injured persons. According to Vaz, the injured child, who suffered facial injuries, was taken to the Port Antonio Hospital, while the Annotto Bay Hospital admitted the other four victims, comprising two males and two women.
Amidst the victims, the condition of the two women is reported as not life-threatening. But, one man was observed bleeding from the face, while the other sustained chest injuries.
A report by The Gleaner detailed that the tragic incident took place shortly after 3:30 p.m. It involved a white Toyota Probox that was traveling east toward Port Antonio and overtook two vehicles, resulting in a collision with a grey Subaru traveling in the opposite direction.
Authorities have speculated that irresponsible driving by the Probox driver led to the collision.