Police fatally shoot armed suspect in Gordon Wood

The incident occurred around 3:35 a.m. in the community two miles east of the Old Harbour town centre. According to a report from the Old Harbour Police, a team of officers acted on intelligence and went to a house in the area in search of a man reported to be armed with a firearm.

Upon arrival, the officers secured the perimeter. After knocking on the door, they were met by a woman who allowed them to enter. As the officers cleared the house, they reported hearing a shuffling sound from an adjoining room.

Two officers proceeded towards the sound and, upon approaching a bathroom, reportedly saw a man standing in the doorway.

"The police called out to the man who brandished a firearm and pointed it in the direction of the police," the report states. "Both officers, in fear of their lives, opened gunfire in the direction of the man."

The suspect was hit and fell to the ground. Police say they retrieved a .38 revolver with no serial number from the injured man. The weapon was reportedly loaded with two live .38 cartridges and one spent casing.

The man was rushed to the Spanish Town Hospital but was pronounced dead at 3:56 a.m. by a doctor on duty. His identity remains unknown.

The scene was processed by detectives from the St. Catherine Scenes of Crime Unit, along with a Crime Scene Examiner from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM). Potential evidential items were retrieved for analysis.

The body of the deceased was transported to a funeral home for storage pending a post-mortem examination.

The investigation is being led by the Old Harbour Police CIB unit. This shooting is expected to be subject to a standard independent review by INDECOM, which probes all incidents involving fatal shootings by members of the security forces.