INDECOM investigates fatal police shooting of Latoya Bulgin in Granville, St James
Jamaica's INDECOM has launched a probe into the fatal police shooting of 45-year-old Latoya Bulgin on May 17, 2026. No body-worn cameras were issued to the officers involved.
INDECOM probes fatal Granville shooting as body camera debate intensifies
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has opened an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting of 45-year-old Latoya Bulgin, known as "Buju," in Granville, St James, on Sunday, May 17, 2026. caribbeannationalweekly.com reports that CCTV footage of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, prompted the commission to act.
INDECOM confirmed it was notified of the shooting and moved swiftly to begin its inquiry. In a statement issued Monday, the commission said citizen-recorded video continues to play a critical role in law enforcement oversight.
"The emergence of video evidence by citizens in matters involving the use of force by law enforcement continues to underscore the importance of technology and independent visual documentation in modern policing oversight," INDECOM said.
The commission added that such footage assists investigators in assessing "the conduct of all parties involved, as well as assessing the necessity and proportionality of the use of force," and helps police leadership make "timely and informed administrative and operational decisions" following critical incidents.
INDECOM confirmed that none of the three officers involved were issued or wearing body-worn cameras at the time of the shooting. The officers were reportedly engaged in crowd control duties related to a nearby protest. The commission has called on witnesses — including occupants of the vehicle driven by Bulgin — to come forward with information and additional footage.
Political reaction and calls for accountability
The shooting drew an immediate response from Member of Parliament for St James West Central Marlene Malahoo Forte, who said officers should face consequences based on initial observations at the scene, while stressing that due process must be followed.
"I think this one doesn't look so good," she told Gleaner reporters. "Can't prejudge it, but it doesn't look good."
The incident has also reignited the ongoing debate over body-worn cameras for officers. National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang has previously questioned their effectiveness in armed encounters, arguing that officers in gunfights are focused on survival rather than recording.
"It (a body-worn camera) is of very little value," Chang has said, adding: "You put a camera on your chest, you start shooting at somebody, they start shooting at you, you going to dive for cover." He described expectations for camera use in high-intensity operations as "a crazy idea" when officers are confronting heavily armed suspects. Chang has maintained that body cameras are better suited to lower-risk scenarios such as public order policing and routine enforcement.
Oversight bodies and human rights advocates have consistently pushed back against that position, arguing that body-worn cameras remain essential for accountability regardless of the risk level of an operation.
Rising toll of fatal police shootings in 2026
Bulgin's death brings the total number of fatal police shootings in May 2026 to 15, according to INDECOM figures. That figure includes a double fatal shooting in Hague, Trelawny, on May 16. Year-to-date, 130 people have been fatally shot by security forces — one more than the 129 recorded over the same period in 2025.
INDECOM reiterated that no body-worn cameras were issued to any of the officers present during the Granville incident, underscoring what the commission describes as the continued importance of independent visual documentation in reconstructing fatal encounters involving law enforcement.
Source: Google News JM — Crime