Old Harbour High guard suffers skull fracture after altercation with student

A security guard remains in recovery after a violent confrontation with a student outside Old Harbour High School left him with a fractured skull, drawing police into another case of escalating violence at the St. Catherine institution.

Footage from the scene shows the guard on the ground following the altercation, which unfolded near the school gate. The injury adds to a growing list of violent episodes linked to the school.

Senior Superintendent Leighton Gray, who heads the St. Catherine South Police Division, said Old Harbour High has been under increased police scrutiny in recent weeks because of repeated reports of fighting and other troubling incidents involving students.

"It is telling us obviously that there is something going on there that need some level of intervention," Gray said, noting that many reports reaching police involve crimes committed by students. "We have realized that there has been some fights and also some other situation happening there. And based on that from a police standpoint, the fact that lot of these reports are coming to us and crimes are being committed by students and so forth, we decided to engage the school in that regard."

Gray stressed that officers are treating the latest matter with urgency. "The police are not taking this lightly," he said. "And as such based on the increase in the number of incidents that have taken place at the school, we have also looked to ensure that the police take the appropriate action."

While the injured guard receives medical care, school administrators and a representative from the Ministry of Education held an incident review meeting on Tuesday. Discussions focused on the protocols schools should follow when a major event occurs in which a student injures a member of the public, whether on or off the compound.

Gray said police typically see a rise in school-related violence as the academic year winds down. At this stage of the term, he explained, some graduating students use end-of-year clashes to settle old grievances.

Officers have stepped up their presence at Old Harbour High following four recent reported incidents. So far, 11 people have been arrested and brought before the courts. Gray said mediation efforts for students involved remain ongoing, with authorities continuing to monitor their behaviour.