‘Take weh yourselves’: Holness orders intensified operations after deadly St Catherine gun battle

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has ordered the security forces to immediately escalate targeted operations against criminals, declaring a zero-tolerance policy against organised crime.

The directive follows the killing of two policemen and the injuring of another cop, as well as the wounding of a 10-year-old girl during a gunfight near Sligoville in St Catherine on Friday.

The deceased lawmen have been identified as Corporal Trevoy Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose.

Three male suspects were fatally shot in the hours-long standoff.

Holness, who was being briefed upon his return to the island following a trip to New York, described the attack on the policemen as an act of “calculated brutality” and “sheer evil”.

He said intelligence accounts revealed that the gunmen orchestrated a coordinated trap – using misdirection and diversionary gunfire – before turning their weapons on officers who stepped forward to safely retrieve a child reportedly being held hostage inside the house at the centre of the gun battle.

“They are not protectors, they are not justified by poverty... they are parasites and pestilence upon our society,” Holness asserted, forcefully rejecting any romanticised views of gunmen as “Robin Hoods” or social rebels.

He said criminals who use families and children as human shields have stripped themselves of moral standing and mandated that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) intensify targeted operations to dismantle these criminal networks using the full force of the law.

“Let me be blunt. We must separate these evil men from our society. We must stop making excuses for men who carry illegal guns, terrorise communities, and prey upon the vulnerable…. The society is better off without them. They must be identified, disarmed, arrested, prosecuted, and removed from our communities through the full force and uncompromising force of the law.

“There can be no moral equivalency. There can be no romanticising of gangs, no glorifying of gunmen, and no tolerance for those who shelter, finance, arm, and celebrate them,” said Holness.

Issuing a stark warning to criminals across Jamaica ahead of next week’s National Security Council meeting, Holness said: “Take weh yourselves.”

Meanwhile, in a post on social media, Holness extended condolences on the deaths of the policemen and wished the injured persons a speedy recovery.

“My heart goes out to the families of Corporal Shaw and Constable Rose, who lost their lives in the line of duty in Sligoville, St Catherine. I extend my deepest condolences to their loved ones and the wider Jamaica Constabulary Force. Their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten. I am praying for the 10-year-old girl who was shot during the incident and for the recovery of the injured police officer.”

He spoke out against the actions of the gunmen and said the Government was committed to tackling crime.

“I have directed that planned operations against criminal targets be intensified, and we will review the situation at next week’s National Security Council meeting. Those responsible for this violence, including anyone who helped plan or support it, must be brought to justice. We will continue to support our security forces as they work to protect the Jamaican people. May the families of our fallen officers find strength and comfort during this difficult time.”

- Kimone Francis

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