Police Report Sez: On Friday, the police fatally shot a suspect, and an officer narrowly escaped serious injury when a bullet struck his protective vest. The incident occurred during an alleged confrontation in the Farm community near Effortville, Clarendon, Jamaica.
The injured officer is from the Area Three Anti-Fugitive Apprehension Team. A bullet from the enemy struck him in the chest. His colleagues rushed him to the hospital, where the medical staff admitted him for treatment. He remains in the hospital in stable condition.
Meanwhile, the police have identified the deceased as O’Neil Hamilton, o/c ‘Jay’ and ‘Puttae,’ 23, a laborer from Oliver Garden in May Pen, Clarendon.
The apprehension team was conducting an operation in the Effortville area when they came under gunfire. In fear for their lives, the officers took evasive actions and returned fire.
Later, the officers found Hamilton suffering from gunshot wounds, according to a police statement released on Saturday.
Officers transported Hamilton to the hospital, where the authorities pronounced him dead on arrival.
The police say they allegedly recovered one firearm during the operation.
Investigators have linked Hamilton to several criminal activities in Area Three, including a robbery that occurred at a bar on Sewell Crescent in May Pen earlier on Friday. During that incident, he and another man allegedly fired their weapons as they fled the scene.
The authorities have reported the matter to the Independent Commission of Investigations.
St Catherine North police is concerned over increase in sexual offences against children
Law enforcement officials in the St. Catherine North Police Division have expressed concerns over a rise in sexual offenses involving children. Senior officers have warned that many of the perpetrators are known to the victims.
Commander of the division, Senior Superintendent Hopeton Nicholson, spoke with reporters on Wednesday. He stated that the situation is particularly alarming. Many of the perpetrators are adult males who could easily be the victims’ fathers and even grandfathers.
Nicholson revealed that since the start of the year, the police received reports of 12 cases of sexual offenses involving children. This is 4 more cases during the same period last year.
But, despite this increase, Nicholson noted that investigators have maintained a high clearance rate of nearly 100 percent.
He urged parents and guardians to be vigilant about whom they entrust with their children, especially regarding transportation arrangements.
“I want to implore parents to be very careful about who they ask to transport their children. We have had victims as young as eight years old, with alleged perpetrators in their fifties and sixties,” Nicholson stated.
Nicholson also addressed the division’s performance in tackling serious crimes, highlighting that last year, St. Catherine North achieved a 66 percent clearance rate for murders, meaning that two out of every three homicide cases were solved.
Still, the issue of sexual violence against minors remains a broader national concern. Police data indicates that between January 1, 2023, and May 12, 2025, there were 3,014 reported sexual offenses involving 2,154 children across the country.
Authorities continue to urge communities to report suspected abuse and work closely with law enforcement to protect vulnerable children.