JAMAICA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- The country Jamaica is an English-speaking Caribbean island nation that draws many American holidaymakers and has a large diaspora in the United States.
- What happened Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on 21 October 2026 that the government backs the Jamaica police after a deadly raid.
- The raid Two police officers died after a gun battle that began at about 5:15 a.m. on Friday 16 October 2026 in Sligoville, St Catherine parish.
- The child A 10-year-old girl found inside the house was wounded and taken to Spanish Town Hospital, where she remained in hospital this week.
- The debate Critics ask whether the officers were properly prepared and whether the approach was right, after a 19-minute video of the stand-off circulated online.
- The US link The US State Department tells travellers to reconsider travel to Jamaica because of crime and lists parts of St Catherine as no-go areas.
Jamaica police received the backing of Prime Minister Andrew Holness on 21 October 2026, five days after a gun battle in Sligoville killed two officers. A 10-year-old girl was wounded in the same raid, and the case has split opinion on the island.
The US State Department tells travellers to reconsider trips because of crime, and the government has sent more police vehicles to tourist areas. The Sligoville deaths put Jamaica police tactics, and the island’s gang violence, in front of US readers again.
What Happened in Sligoville
Officers of the Special Operations Branch, an elite police unit, went to Five Miles in Sligoville at about 5:15 a.m. on 16 October. They were looking for wanted men and, the commissioner said, a high-risk target linked to violent crime.
Gunmen barricaded inside a house opened fire when the officers approached, and a shoot-out followed. Corporal Trevoy Shaw died that day, and Constable Devoney Rose died of his wounds on Saturday 17 October, the Observer reported.
Police say three men they identified as gunmen were killed in the hours-long gun battle, the Gleaner reported. A girl who was inside the house was found with gunshot wounds, and police say she was being used as a human shield.
What Holness and the Police Chief Said
Holness spoke on Wednesday 21 October at the handover of the East Palms housing development in Kingston Central, the Gleaner reported. Responding to a resident, he said: “We back the JCF”.
He attacked critics of the police as “two-mouth people” and said criminals “mustn’t have no say”. He added that security forces have been very effective, pointing to a falling murder rate.
Commissioner Blake said after the attack, “We will not retreat and we will not relent”, according to the Observer. Fitz Jackson, the opposition spokesman on national security, offered condolences and prayed for the girl’s recovery.
Why the Raid Is Being Questioned
A 19-minute video that circulated online shows a man inside the house holding what appears to be a handgun, the Gleaner reported. Two others negotiate with police, and the girl can be heard pleading for her safety.
The Gleaner’s editorial board called for a full investigation and a separate tactical review of the operation. It said it is unclear whether Jamaica police have trained negotiators in their ranks.
The editorial says police believe the two officers were lured into the line of fire by gunmen who pretended to release a child. Police also suggest that criminals outside the house fired diversionary shots in support of those inside.
Police Shootings in Context
The Gleaner editorial cites the Independent Commission of Investigations, known as INDECOM, the watchdog that probes police use of force. It counts 237 people fatally shot by police up to 16 October 2026, matching the total for the first ten months of 2025.
INDECOM’s figure for all of 2025 was 311 fatal police shootings, a rise of 64% on 2024, according to the editorial. Planned police operations account for about 40% of such killings.
Holness argues that the murder rate is falling and that the crackdown on gangs is working. The island’s wider politics and power structure shape how far each side pushes the argument.
What It Means for US Readers
The US State Department’s Jamaica advisory says “Reconsider travel to Jamaica due to crime” and states that violent crime occurs throughout the country. It adds that tourist areas generally have lower violent crime rates than other parts of the island.
The advisory lists Spanish Town, Central Village and several Portmore neighbourhoods in St Catherine as Do Not Travel areas. Sligoville lies in the same parish, so US visitors with family there should check the current guidance.
Most American visitors stay in resort zones, which the advisory describes as safer than the rest of the island. The raid does not change the advisory, but it shows how an armed confrontation can reach an ordinary home.
What Is Not Known
It is not yet clear whether the police or INDECOM will publish a review of how the operation was planned. Reports differ on whether two or three gunmen died, and on whether the girl is in critical or serious but stable condition.
No one has said how the girl was shot, and police have not named the gunmen. The government has not announced any change to how Special Operations raids are run.
More: Jamaica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Sligoville, Jamaica?
Special Operations police came under fire at about 5:15 a.m. on Friday 16 October 2026 while searching for wanted men. Two officers died and a 10-year-old girl inside the house was wounded.
Who were the officers killed?
Corporal Trevoy Shaw died on 16 October 2026, and Constable Devoney Rose died on 17 October at Spanish Town Hospital. Shaw served in the Special Operations unit, the Observer reported.
What did Prime Minister Holness say?
Andrew Holness said on 21 October 2026, “We back the JCF”, and criticised what he called two-mouth people. He said security forces have been very effective against criminals.
Is Jamaica safe for US visitors?
The US State Department says to reconsider travel to Jamaica due to crime, while noting that tourist areas have lower violent crime rates. Visitors should read the full advisory before booking.
What is the Jamaica Constabulary Force?
The Jamaica Constabulary Force, or JCF, is the national force known as Jamaica police. Its Special Operations Branch handles high-risk raids against armed suspects.
Sources: The Gleaner, Holness backs the JCF, 22 October 2026; The Gleaner, editorial on the Five Miles tragedy, 21 October 2026; The Gleaner, St Catherine shoot-out report, 16 October 2026; Jamaica Observer, commissioner on the Sligoville attack, 16 October 2026; Jamaica Observer, injured officer dies, 17 October 2026; US State Department, Jamaica travel advisory, 22 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief