Indecom investigating five deaths in four police shootings on June 19
WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) says it is investigating four separate fatal shootings by police on Thursday that left five men dead.
Three of the shootings took place in Westmoreland and one in St Catherine.
The deceased are: brothers, 22-year-old Jaeden Love and 23-year-old Jhordon Love of Bethel Town Westmoreland; 30-year-old Dereico Hayle, also of Bethel Town, Westmoreland; Damion Nembhard of St Catherine, and 31-year-old Keno Plummer also from Westmoreland.
With 154 so far this year, the force has almost matched the total amount of police killings for the entire year of 2024, which stood at 155, Indecom said.
“This represents an overall 130 per cent increase in total fatal shooting incidents when compared to the same period in 2024,” it said.
The first of two incidents, in Bethel Town, Westmoreland, involved the death of the Love brothers.
Police reportedly carried out a joint military targeted operation with a search warrant at the Love residence. They report being fired at, firing in return.
The second incident occurred in the Galloway district of Bethel Town, where police report seeing two men on a motorcycle, at least one of whom was armed.
They again report being fired at, and returning fire at the men who attempted to escape into nearby bushes, where Hayle was subsequently found, and the other man escaped.
The third fatal incident in Westmoreland was at George’s Plain, where an off-duty police officer alleges that while he was in his vehicle, he was approached by an armed man. The man is alleged to have pointed the firearm at the off-duty officer, who took evasive action and fired at Plummer.
The final incident, on Huckleberry Avenue in St Catherine, was also a planned operation where police stated that they were in search of ‘Doggy’, now known to be Damion Nembhard. It is alleged that Nembhard pointed a gun and fired at the police, and the police team fired in response.
“Four firearms were reportedly recovered from the deceased by the police in three of the incidents, and no firearm was recovered from the incident where Dereico Hayle was fatally shot. No body worn camera was reported as being worn by any of the concerned officers in any of the four incidents,” Indecom reports.
The commission says it has notified the officers and commenced investigations, including swabs for gunpowder residue on the hands of the deceased.
