A police officer and two men are dead after a gun battle in Sligoville, St Catherine, on Friday morning, and a young girl was wounded, according to reports from the Jamaica Observer.
The shooting began at about 5:15 a.m. A team from the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Special Operations unit was in the Five Miles area of Sligoville searching for wanted men. Officers were reportedly clearing a building on a premises when they came under fire.
Two men had barricaded themselves inside a house with other occupants, the Observer reported. Both men were later reported dead. They have not been named, and it has not been said whether they were the men police were looking for.
One member of the Special Operations unit was killed. Several other officers were injured. The Observer reported that one officer was shot in the head and was undergoing surgery. The conditions of the other injured officers have not been made public.
A young girl who was in the house was hurt by gunfire. She got out of the house and was taken to hospital by a police team. Sources described her condition as serious but stable. It has not been said who fired the shot that hit her.
Members of the police SWAT team, the Area 5 Area Fugitive Apprehension Team and the Jamaica Defence Force were at the scene. A strong police presence remained in the area on Friday as investigations continued.
What is not yet known
The names of the two men who died.
What the men were wanted for.
How many other people were in the house.
The number of injured officers and their conditions.
No official statement from police commanders had been published at the time of writing. This story will be updated as more information is confirmed.
