One Killed, Two Arrested in Alleged Shootout with Police During Car Theft Crackdown

KINGSTON, JAMAICA – One man was fatally shot and two others were taken into custody during an alleged shootout with law enforcement officers on Tuesday afternoon in Kingston. The incident occurred as police confronted suspected car thieves as part of an ongoing operation targeting the stolen motor vehicle trade.

According to police reports, a joint operation involving the Stolen Motor Vehicle Unit of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) and officers from the St. Andrew South Police Division was conducted around midday on Lothian Avenue in Kingston 11.

During a breach-and-clear exercise at a premises, lawmen were reportedly met with gunfire. In response, the police returned fire, resulting in one man sustaining gunshot wounds. The injured individual was immediately transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending further investigation into the full extent of the illicit activities involved.

Two other men were apprehended during the operation. One of the arrested individuals is suspected to be a key player in the illegal stolen motor vehicle trade, according to police sources. A loaded 9mm pistol and a motor vehicle were reportedly seized at the scene.

The police operation is part of a sustained crackdown on vehicle theft being conducted by C-TOC’s Stolen Motor Vehicle Unit. Authorities are urging members of the public who have been victims of vehicle theft to come forward and contact the unit at 876-967-1389 or 876-922-2373, call the Police 119 emergency number, or visit their nearest police station to provide information. The investigation into Tuesday’s incident and the wider vehicle theft network continues.