St. James police shooting, St. Mary arson arrest and Spanish Town ganja case lead Jamaica news

Retired Senior Superintendent Steve McGregor has urged the Jamaica Constabulary Force to review its approach to policing after the fatal shooting of Latoya “Buju” Bulgin in Granville, St. James, warning that deadly force should be used only as a final option.

McGregor, who served 42 years in the JCF, said the May 17 incident was troubling but cautioned against branding the officers involved as murderers before investigators establish the facts. Bulgin was reportedly carrying people to protest the police killing of 17-year-old TJ Edwards when officers stopped the Toyota Voxy she was driving in the community square. CCTV reportedly showed an officer firing toward her while she sat behind the wheel. Police have said she threatened to drive into the officer who shot her. Indecom is investigating.

In a letter to the editor, McGregor said police deaths require sensitivity, professionalism and accountability. He said public trust in the force is weak and called for stronger supervision, better training, mentoring, community engagement and greater use of body-worn cameras. He also asked whether operational procedures were followed and whether Bulgin received proper care after being shot.

Indecom said 133 people have been fatally shot by security force members so far this year, compared with 129 over the same period in 2025. Eighteen were recorded in May. The commission also said three officers reportedly assigned to crowd control at the protest were not wearing body-worn cameras.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness offered condolences to Bulgin’s family and told JCF graduates that their duty is to preserve and protect life. He also instructed the force to urgently review how injured and dead people are handled at crime scenes. Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake, in his Commissioner’s Corner, said officers often make difficult decisions under pressure, but those decisions must remain lawful, ethical and necessary.

Separately, police said a 59-year-old woman was arrested after two office buildings, a pickup and a motor car were allegedly set ablaze at the Suri and Aggregate compound in Georgia, St. Mary, about 2 p.m. Sunday. A caretaker reported that she had refused to leave before he went to the Annotto Bay police; he returned to find the buildings burning.

In St. Catherine Parish Court, Robert Brooks, also called Hardy, 56, of Rose Hall district, St. Elizabeth, pleaded guilty after a May 16 ganja seizure in Spanish Town. He was fined $143,944 or three months for possession, and $15,000 or 30 days for dealing. Police said about 23 pounds of ganja were found in a car occupied by Brooks, Sanjay Johnson, 37, of Red Ground, and AJ Brown, 35, of Burnt Savannah. Johnson and Brown were later freed.