Granville unrest grows after police fatally shoot Latoya Bullgin

Granville, St. James, stayed on edge Monday after a police constable fatally shot 43-year-old Latoya Bullgin on Sunday, with residents burning debris, blocking roads, and pressing for swift action.

When reporters entered the community, firefighters were dousing a blaze that had been set earlier. Most streets were empty except for officers standing watch in case tensions escalated again.

Surveillance footage of the shooting has spread widely online, drawing sharp criticism of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. A police report obtained by TVJ states that Bullgin, also known as Booju, was dropping off protesters at Granville Square during what officers described as an unauthorised demonstration.

Bullgin was driving a black Toyota Voxy when a constable stopped her, said the vehicle was unlicensed, and told her it would be seized. She allegedly replied, "My vehicle not seized today. Rather run this over one of them and kill one of them today." As she tried to drive away, the constable fired one round toward the vehicle. She was struck by the bullet.

The constable has been placed on interdiction. The Granville Peace, Justice and Resource Development Foundation wants every officer directly involved in the operation removed from frontline duty until the investigation concludes.

The killing came exactly one week after another disputed police shooting in Granville in which a 17-year-old male died. Bullgin, a well-known businesswoman and mother of two, had been among those protesting that earlier death.

Jamaicans for Justice executive director Mickle Jackson questioned whether the force used matched the threat, saying lethal force should apply only when life is under immediate danger. Jackson said the CCTV footage made public scrutiny possible and renewed calls for full deployment of body-worn cameras. She also raised concerns about whether the crime scene was preserved for independent investigators and about the way Bullgin's body was moved in the street before being placed in a police service vehicle.

The opposition People's National Party, through national security spokesperson Fitz Jackson, called for a transparent, independent investigation. Jackson said interdicting one officer was a necessary first step but not enough to rebuild trust. "We cannot keep losing citizens during interactions with the law enforcement officers who are paid to protect them and all of us Jamaicans," he said, adding that too many law-abiding people now fear the police almost as much as criminals. He urged the JCF to send community relations teams to Granville immediately to ease tensions and reassure residents.