ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — One of the two men confirmed dead after the Friday morning standoff between police and gunmen that saw a baby and child caught in the crosshairs is believed to be the son of a recently retired cop.

“I do believe that one of the young men was the estranged child of a member of the constabulary, a recent retiree from the constabulary,” said Senior Communications Strategist of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Dennis Brooks.

He added that the deceased were said to be part of a criminal organisation and associated with a high-risk target in St Andrew.

One lawman was killed in the shootout, and two guns were seized. A young girl and another policeman are in hospital in serious condition, while another policeman was grazed by a bullet, Brooks confirmed.

Dozens of police vehicles and personnel, as well as Jamaica Defence Force heavy-duty vehicles, were present at the scene in Sligoville, St Catherine, where police had gone to the property acting on intelligence.

Brooks told the media that the standoff had gone on for hours.

“I can’t confirm the number of rounds, but it only speaks to the reality that these are heavily armed individuals, that they have the capacity to engage the security forces in sustained gunfire. They had multiple weapons and a large cache of ammunition…The operation began before dawn, and it was active well past seven, eight o’clock,” Brooks said, standing just outside the scene in St Catherine.

“Two weapons have been seized, but there is evidence that other weaponry was being used, so there are subsidiary operations taking place at this time,” Brooks said.

READ: UPDATE: Two men killed after gun battle with police in Sligoville

— Dana Malcolm