Jamaican Senators Unite to Condemn Killing of Police Corporal in Sligoville Shootout

Police Corporal Trevoy Shaw was killed and two colleagues injured in a gun battle in Five Miles, Sligoville. Senators from both sides called for civil society to speak out.

Senate Condemns Death of Officer Killed in Sligoville Gun Battle

The Jamaica Observer reports that both Government and Opposition senators opened Friday's Senate sitting with condemnations of the killing of Police Corporal Trevoy Shaw, who died alongside two gunmen in an early morning shootout in Five Miles, Sligoville, St Catherine. Two of Shaw's colleagues were injured in the exchange, as were two civilians.

Government Senator Marlon Morgan paid direct tribute to the slain officer. "Jamaica has lost one of her brave and courageous sons, one who signed up to serve, protect and reassure," Morgan said, adding that the incident "underscores the hazards of the job" and the daily challenges faced by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Morgan told the Senate it was obliged to register its "immense grief at the loss of the officer."

Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Donna Scott-Mottley, aligned herself with that position. "We understand, respect and appreciate the police in the lawful execution of their duty which is to serve and protect. When we see a member who has lost his life in that way, the country must respond," she said.

Government Senator Christian Tavares-Finson went further, directing his remarks at civil society organisations. He said the prevalence of illegal firearms in Jamaica means officers risk their lives every time they report for duty. "I want to take this opportunity to ask the civil society groups [who] quite often speak out against the government and its policies, to condemn this type of behavior, to condemn the shooting of our police officers," Tavares-Finson said.

Opposition Senator Lambert Brown also condemned the attack. He noted that one of the two gunmen killed was reportedly the son of a recently retired police officer. "My heart, and that of the Leader of Opposition Business, and of all right-thinking people in the country, goes out to the men and women of the security forces," Brown said. He added that lawmakers have a responsibility to improve conditions for police families, saying the Senate should "make the life of their families better off by the response we give in the myriad of ways in which we can make the lives of police officers or security force members better off."

Government Senator Charles Sinclair used the debate to reaffirm his backing for the Firearms Act, which carries mandatory sentencing provisions for certain firearms-related offences. Sinclair, a defence attorney and former mayor of Montego Bay, said the legislation signals how seriously the government treats illegal weapons. "Some persons oppose it; I stand as an attorney just to say I am firmly behind the harsh penalties for illegal firearms," he told the Senate. He argued that once a person receives a fair trial, they must bear the resulting penalty, and stated that "firearms serve no useful purpose other than to maim and to kill."

The cross-party condemnations came after the gun battle claimed the life of Corporal Shaw and left four others — two police and two civilians — with injuries. The incident prompted renewed calls from within the legislature for Jamaicans outside government to take an equally clear public stand against violence directed at law enforcement.

Source: Jamaica Observer