Spanish Town police shooting, traffic demerit points from October, and other Jamaica developments

A man was fatally shot by police during an alleged gun battle in Cory Hill, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, early Friday morning. Officers said that about 5:30 a.m., members of the St. Catherine North Proactive Investigation Unit and the area fugitive apprehension team entered the community searching for gunmen, including a wanted suspect. Police reported that upon reaching a section of the community, they saw two men jumping over a fence at the rear of premises. The men were accosted and allegedly opened fire. Officers took evasive action and returned fire while the shooting continued. When the exchange ended, one man was found with apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to Spanish Town Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A Terrence pistol fitted with a magazine containing three 9mm cartridges was seized. The deceased was identified by an alias linked to Cory Hill. The Independent Commission of Investigations is probing the fatal shooting.

The transport minister has confirmed that Jamaica's demerit point system for traffic offenders will take full effect on October 1, 2026. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, the minister said the mechanism is meant to cut violations, improve driver accountability, and save lives on the roads. Implementation had been suspended to allow more time for compliance; that grace period ends on September 30, 2026, after which a zero-tolerance approach will apply, especially to offences that endanger lives. Officials said roughly 1.1 million tickets remain outstanding, with another 118,000 recently issued and still moving through payment or court processes. The September 30 cutoff was chosen, rather than July 31 or August 31, to give government agencies and the courts time to prepare so motorists can settle matters without overloading the system. The ministry is working with the Island Traffic Authority, the Ministry of Justice, the traffic tribunal, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and other partners to urge motorists to check records, pay outstanding tickets, and ensure licences and vehicle documents are in order before the system starts. Once operational, qualifying offences will be recorded on drivers' records and can lead to licence suspension where thresholds are exceeded.

Twenty Haitians who arrived illegally in Jamaica on Monday were returned to Haiti on Thursday night after processing by the relevant authorities. The group, which landed in the Passes area, was intercepted by Portland police in three separate batches and subsequently processed by police, the health department, and immigration officials. The migrants comprised 21 men, four women, and three children. Portland police are urging residents not to shelter undocumented migrants and to report unfamiliar individuals in their communities.

Major crimes in St. Ann are trending down, according to police in the parish. Commander for Zone One in the Centre Police Division, Deputy Superintendent David Blake, said targeted action against known violence producers has contributed to a significant reduction in murders of more than 20 percent, a 44 percent drop in shootings, and a 45 percent fall in robberies. One fewer rape has been recorded compared with last year. Blake said break-ins and aggravated assaults remain areas of concern, particularly in Browns Town, and stressed that residents must play a part in fighting crime.

A 25-year-old labourer from St. Catherine, Chad Campbell, was granted $700,000 bail after being charged with the murder of his 23-year-old nephew, Jalum Herb Mullins, also of St. Catherine. Senior Parish Court Judge Desiree Lake granted bail and ordered Campbell to stay away from York Town and have no contact with witnesses. The charges stem from an incident about 8:00 p.m. on June 17 at Campbell's home in Ewarton, where Mullins was watching a World Cup football match on television. Campbell allegedly asked him to lower the volume; Mullins refused, an argument became physical, and Mullins was stabbed in the upper body. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead. Campbell was arrested that night. His attorney, Don Martin, argued self-defence and that Campbell has a fixed place of abode to which he can relocate.

Detectives from the Hunts Bay Criminal Investigation Branch have charged a man in a nearly decade-old murder case. Thirty-nine-year-old Andrew Anderson, otherwise called Prince of 7th Street in Greenwich Farm, Kingston 13, is charged with the 2016 murder of 62-year-old Junior Russell, also of 7th Street. Police said Anderson left the community for several years after the killing. Intelligence-led investigations led to his capture on June 12. It is alleged that about 5:00 p.m. on July 28, 2016, Russell and Anderson had a dispute that escalated into a physical altercation, during which Anderson allegedly stabbed Russell with a knife before fleeing. Russell was taken to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.