A police constable who was shot and injured by gunmen on Wednesday night in the volatile Kingston community of Greenwich Town is said to be in stable condition in hospital.

Police say the cop was part of a police team from the St Andrew South police division which responded to calls that a section of Marcus Garvey Drive had been blocked. The cops say that when they arrived at the scene they were shot at by a gang of armed hoodlums. The officer, whose name was not released, was injured during the firefight.

He was taken to hospital where he was admitted in serious, but stable condition.

The constable is the third cop to be shot by gunmen since the start of the year.

On Tuesday, two cops, Sergeant Huan Genus of the Clarks Town police and Constable Ralston Ebanks from the May Pen police, were attacked and murdered by gunmen.

Sergeant Genus and his daughter Shari were killed on the Stewart Castle main road in Trelawny, while Constable Ebanks and his sister, Fernandis Ebanks-Clarke were slaughtered on the Braeton main road in St Catherine after enjoying a day at the beach. Ebanks’ 15-month-old niece was injured in the attack.