CHANTILLY, Westmoreland — A 47-year-old police constable was among four people killed mere hours apart in this western parish between Friday night and Saturday morning.

The death of police Constable Richard Barrett was too much for members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and his wife who was unable to speak with the Jamaica Observer. However, other members of the family spoke with the newspaper, including his 17-year-old son Junior, who is trying to cope with losing his father.

“At 17 he died. He did not even get to see me graduate from high school. It is really hard,” expressed Junior, who paused for a while to regain his composure.

“I wasn’t expecting this at this young age. There is a time in life where everyone has to pay their due, but I never expect this one in my life,” added Junior.

The cop left his location around 6:00 Friday evening when he reportedly received a call from friends for them to meet and have a drink. Even though his bar, that has a restaurant attached, was closed on Good Friday, he went. However, it appeared gunmen showed up at his bar before his colleagues shortly after 8:00.

Passers-by reportedly saw a white car with three men lingering outside the property. The friends, upon arrival, found Barrett slumped over the counter. His loaded firearm, which was on the counter, was not stolen.

Barrett was rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Junior was sleeping when the shocking news of his father’s death came. He said it took a while for it to sink in.

Junior said Constable Barnett was a loving, caring, and good father, who taught him a lot.

The slain cop served in the Jamaica Fire Brigade in Hanover before switching careers approximately 20 years ago. At the time of the 47-year-old’s death, he was serving at the Little London Police Station, also in Westmoreland.

Despite a change in career, the son said it never crossed his mind that his father was leaving a risky job for an even riskier one, noting that his father loved his job.

His brother, Aldin Hunter, who is also a fireman, said the news was difficult for their mother who was always fearful each time she heard of a policeman’s death.

Hunter said Constable Barrett is the eldest of four brothers, and the family looked to him to ensure that all was in order.

“He is the peacemaker who everyone looks towards to ensure certain things are getting done,” Hunter said.

Chavel Monteith, Constable Barrett’s stepdaughter, who works at the bar, was not around at the time of the shooting.

“Most of the times things would get so scary [crime], we would be there, the front would be closed. His friends know that we would be there so they could drive around the back and the doors would be open so they could come in,” stated Monteith.

Another family member, who gave her name as Barrett, said Constable Barrett was someone who didn’t speak much. “He is practically that type of person, work and home,” stated the female family member.

The family was being consoled and prayed for by members of the JCF Community Safety and Security Branch at the family home in Chantilly when the Sunday Observer arrived on Saturday.

The police high command, in condemning the brutal attack on Barrett, has promised a thorough and detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding his murder.

“The police will not be deterred by this latest attack. They will continue their focus on ridding communities of guns, gunmen, and gangs who continue to cause death, pain, and mayhem,” the high command said in a press release, Saturday.

The high command is encouraging anyone with information that may assist with this investigation to contact Crime Stop at 311 or the police 119 emergency number.

Meanwhile, around 1:30 Saturday morning, Sidney Hibbert, 77, of Rose Bank, Bluefields, in Westmoreland was shot and killed and his house set ablaze.

Reports are that Hibbert was at home when gunmen kicked off his door and shot him in the upper body before setting the house ablaze. The police and units from the Savanna-la-Mar Fire Department were alerted.

The charred remains of Hibbert were found among the rubble during cooling down operations.

There was also a double murder in the Bethel Town Police Division, but no details were immediately available.