Jamaica: Protests erupt after fatal police shooting in Jones Town

Residents of Jones Town in Kingston took to the streets in protest, blocking roadways after police fatally shot a 30-year-old man during an operation last Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Alexander Marsh, also known as “Choco.”

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The police, in fear of their lives, fired at this man.

According to Superintendent Brian Henry, head of the Kingston Western Police Division, officers on patrol observed Marsh behaving suspiciously. He reportedly fled into a yard when police approached. Henry stated that Marsh then pointed a sub-machine gun at the officers, who fired their weapons in fear for their lives. Marsh was injured and later pronounced dead at Kingston Public Hospital. Police recovered a sub-machine gun and ammunition from the scene.

The protests and road blockages continued into the following morning. Henry described such demonstrations as "customary" for some individuals in the community and urged residents to cooperate with investigators. The Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Inspectorate of Professional Standards Oversight Bureau are both probing the incident.

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The blockages of the roadways and unlawful demonstration have been a type of behaviour that has long been the custom of persons in this particular community.

Henry acknowledged ongoing conflicts within Jones Town, noting that two of the division's twelve murders this year occurred in the area. However, he also highlighted police efforts, including the seizure of 15 illegal firearms across Kingston Western this year, with four found in Jones Town. He mentioned that the division recorded no murders in April and expressed hope for continued progress through increased community engagement and targeted operations.

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It is something that we hope to repeat. We are working assiduously towards it, and we are making progress where that is concerned.