Police shot and killed two men in Greater Portmore, St Catherine, on Monday during an early morning operation at a home they reportedly shared.
The deceased have been identified as 25-year-old electrician Paul Francis and 27-year-old Omar Hooke, who was unemployed. Reports indicate that the fatal shooting occurred at their residence along Five West about 5:50 a.m., when a police team, acting on intelligence, went to the location.
Upon entering the property, the officers encountered both men inside and began conducting a search. However, the operation reportedly took a violent turn when an altercation developed between the occupants and the lawmen.
According to police accounts, one of the men allegedly attacked an officer, resulting in a struggle inside the house. The officer eventually managed to break free, bringing the tussle to an end, but the confrontation did not stop there.
Investigators say the second man then retrieved a firearm from a clothes basket and pointed it at the officer. In response, the lawman reportedly took evasive action before opening fire, hitting the man, who collapsed.
It is further reported that the other occupant reacted by quickly bending, taking up the weapon, and aiming it at the officer. The officer again discharged his firearm, striking the second man.
Both men were taken to the Spanish Town Hospital following the incident, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Videos circulating in the aftermath show residents gathered at the scene, grieving as police officers removed one of the men from the house and placed him into the back of a police vehicle.
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has since launched a probe into the fatal shooting, as authorities seek to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
