Remain calm and united in the midst of heartache, Montague tells JCF
KINGSTON, Jamaica — National Security Minister Robert Montague, in condemning yesterday’s killing of Constable Leighton Hanson, urged police officers to “remain calm and united and continue to perform their duties with the utmost professionalism in the midst of hurt and heartache”.
Hanson, who was killed by a suspect who he was attempting to apprehend yesterday, brought the number of police officers killed since the start of the year to three.
Since the minister’s statement a fourth officer has died from injuries sustained while on duty.
Detective Sergeant Dale Thompson, who was shot while on duty on Saturday, January 28, died in hospital this morning.
While assuring Jamaicans that he will continue the fight against crime, Montague said that Friday afternoon’s shooting demonstrates the risk that the police are constantly exposed to by virtue of their occupation and incidents of this nature “are a wrenching reminder of the extremely difficult challenges facing the security forces, and the great sacrifices they continue to make in the fight to rid our country of the scourge of crime and violence”.