Salt Spring police shooting recorded on body-worn camera as manhunt targets reputed gang leader in Kingston

A confrontation in Salt Spring, St James, that ended with police shooting and injuring a man on Thursday was recorded on officers’ body-worn cameras, according to sources. The footage will not be made public while the matter remains under investigation.

Residents said the incident unfolded shortly after 1:00 p.m. The man, believed to be struggling with mental health issues, was reportedly armed with a knife, hurling bottles at passers-by and causing alarm in an area where children were present. Police were sent to the scene after residents raised the alarm.

On arrival, officers found the man still holding the weapon. Commands to drop the knife were repeated, and attempts to bring in community mental health support were unsuccessful. Witnesses said officers tried to calm the situation, but police reported that the man refused to comply, threatened them, and moved towards an officer with the blade raised. An officer then fired, wounding him. He was later disarmed and taken to hospital for treatment. His condition has not been disclosed. The knife was recovered at the scene. As is standard procedure, the incident has been reported to the Independent Commission of Investigations, which has opened a probe.

Separately, St Andrew South police are searching for a group of men, including a reputed gang leader, after a shooting and arson attack in the division on Tuesday morning.

The violence broke out around 4:00 a.m. along Espit Avenue in Kingston 13. A 31-year-old resident was shot and hospitalised. Investigators say the episode grew out of a family dispute.

Area Four police have named Shawn Williamson, also known as Ryan, as a person of interest. According to investigators, the complainant was at his girlfriend’s home on Murray Avenue when he learned his mother’s house was burning and went to investigate. He arrived to find the property in flames, which led to a heated argument with a relative identified as the suspect. The suspect and associates then left, but police allege he returned and opened fire on his cousin, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Family members on the scene rushed the injured man to hospital.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Phipps, who heads Area Four, said Williamson has been given until 6:00 p.m. Tuesday to surrender. He said officers have rolled out operations to capture him and are also pursuing his alleged associates. Phipps added that police will maintain a strong presence in the area and intervene in the underlying family dispute.