Key Takeaways
- Former police constable Odian Williams was arrested at the airport after being charged with murder by the DPP in relation to his time with the JCF.
- Williams faced court on July 23, 2026, and will return later this week as investigations into multiple fatal shootings involving security forces are ongoing.
- Another former police constable, Joel Lewis, lost his appeal for reinstatement to the JCF after the Privy Council found his claims were not valid under the law.
- Lewis argued his discharge was unlawful and claimed a lack of evidence supporting the decision, but the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal.
- The case against Lewis stemmed from charges in 2018 that were ultimately dropped due to insufficient evidence.
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According to reports, authorities arrested former police constable Odian Williams at the airport. He was preparing to leave Jamaica during the week ending July 25.
The Gleaner reported that law enforcement detained Williams after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) determined that he should be charged with murder. This charge is in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred while he was serving as a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
Meanwhile, the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has stated that it will soon provide a comprehensive account of the circumstances surrounding Williams’ arrest and the murder charge against him. In addition, cops removed him from a departing flight last week.
Williams appeared before the court on Thursday, July 23, 2026. He is due to return to court later this week.
Commissioner Hugh Faulkner of INDECOM announced that the commission has begun investigations into five fatal shooting incidents involving security forces. These incidents took place between Thursday, July 23, and Sunday, July 26.
These incidents occurred in St. Ann, St. Elizabeth, St. Catherine, Manchester, and Kingston. They resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, including one woman.
Faulkner noted that these recent incidents have raised the total number of people fatally shot by members of the security forces to 174 since the beginning of the year.
Former police constable loses JCF fight – Privy Council tosses appeal for reinstatement
Former police constable Joel Lewis expressed his disappointment after the Privy Council ruled that his challenge to the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) refusal to re-enlist him was not valid under the law. As a result, this decision effectively concluded his attempts to seek a judicial review of his discharge.
The Privy Council panel, which included Lord Briggs, Lord Stephens, and Lady Rose, determined that Lewis’s appeal did not present an arguable point of law.
In the Court of Appeal, Lewis, represented by attorney Hugh Wildman, argued that his discharge was unlawful.
He claimed there was no evidence that the Commissioner of Police had personally acted to remove him from the force. Wildman asserted that Superintendent Clifford Chambers, the first respondent, did not have the authority to make the discharge decision.
Additionally, Wildman argued that his client is entitled to an explanation for the removal.
Kristina Jones, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, countered that Chambers was merely communicating the decision of the Commissioner. The Court of Appeal ultimately dismissed Lewis’s appeal, stating there was no evidence that Chambers was the decision-maker.
The dispute began when the police arrested Lewis in June 2018 while he was studying at the Caribbean Maritime University. He faced charges of uttering a forged motor vehicle certificate of title and receiving a stolen motor vehicle. However, the court dismissed the case due to a lack of evidence.
Lewis claimed he received assurances about his status from the Commissioner in July 2022.
However, he was later informed of his discharge by Chambers in September 2022. He subsequently sought a judicial review of the JCF’s refusal to re-enlist him, arguing that his dismissal was unlawful.