Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Police officers pause at the crime scene to reflect on the killing of one of their colleagues. Constable Richard King, attached to Kingston Central police division, was shot and killed by gunmen early yesterday morning at the intersection of Drumond and Orange streets in Kingston. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Minister of National Security Derrick Smith and Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas, yesterday condemned the killing of two members of the security forces who were murdered in separate incidents on the weekend.

Constable Richard King, who was attached to the Kingston Central Police Station, was shot dead by gunmen on Orange Street, Kingston, yesterday morning, while Jason Young, a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) private, was found murdered in bushes in Guys Hill, St. Catherine, on Saturday.

The killing of Constable King brings to 11, the number of police who have been killed since the start of the year.

Reports from the Constabulary Communications Network are that at about 2:00 a.m., members of a police patrol went to Orange Street, where a dance was in progress. As they were exiting the vehicle, three gunmen opened fire hitting Constable King.

The fire was returned but the gunmen escaped. The injured policeman was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Private Young's body was found with multiple stab wounds in bushes in Guys Hill, St. Catherine.

Mr. Smith said King's fatal shooting reflects the brazen behaviour of gunmen who seek to wreak havoc in the society.

In acknowledging the difficult job of the security forces, and the debilitating effects on them when a colleague is slain, Mr. Smith urged them to be steadfast in their duties as they work to rid the island of the scourge of crime.

The National Security Minister urged persons who witnessed both incidents to cooperate with the police to find the killer or killers of King and the 25-year-old private.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Thomas said the slaying of Constable King closely follows the burial of Sergeant Egerton Brown who was also killed by gunmen in September.

National cry

"It is my hope that citizens of this country will lift their voices in a national cry of condemnation and throw their full support behind the police in its efforts to rid Jamaica of these cold-blooded killers," commissioner Thomas said.

He urged persons with information to come forward.

"As Commissioner of Police, I pledge that all will be done by the JCF to bring these murderers to book," the commissioner said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of crime, Mark Shields, who was on the crime scene on Orange Street, yesterday morning, told Gleaner Power 106 News that the police conducted search of the area and a number of 9mm shells were recovered on Drummond Street.

He noted that the scene of the gruesome murder was preserved and investigations continue.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com