55-y-o cop who intervened in Portmore brawl stabbed to death

A 55-year-old policeman who tried to quell a fight between two men on Baptist Road in Portmore, St Catherine was stabbed to death on Saturday evening. 

Dead is Detective Sergeant Victor Francis, who was assigned to the Centre for the Investigations of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse headquarters. 

The Police High Command has expressed condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. 

Reports from the Caymanas Police are that about 6:35 p.m.,  Francis observed two men in a physical confrontation and attempted to intervene when he was stabbed. 

According to reports, one of the men ran behind the policeman and used him as a shield, while the alleged knife-wielding attacker continued stabbing, injuring the cop.

He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The two men are in police custody.

Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson is reinforcing his call for members of the public to seek peaceful means to settle conflicts, said a statement from the Corporate Communications Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) on Sunday. 

“Too many persons are losing their lives or suffering grave injury due to mismanaged feelings and the inability to resolve conflicts, " he said.  He is urging members of the public to the use of the Force's Domestic Violence Intervention Centres across the island, as well as other available programmes such as mediation, dispute resolution and restorative justice centres.

The JCF's Chaplaincy Branch and Welfare Department are providing support to the family members, friends and colleagues of Francis.

- Rasbert Turner contributed to this report. 

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