A woman was also shot by the gunmen during the incident.

According to investigators, about 11:15 Friday night, the constable and three women were in a motor car at a premises in Browns Town, St Catherine, when they were pounced on by men armed with guns.

The hoodlums immediately opened fire, hitting the cop and one of the females.

In a bid to escape, the constable drove away but lost control of the vehicle, which plunged over a precipice.

The four were taken to hospital where the constable was admitted in serious condition. Two of the females were treated and released and the other admitted in stable condition.

The attack on the cop and his friends came 24 hours after National Security Minister Dwight Nelson repeated his call for all Jamaicans to get involved in the war against crime.

According to Nelson, Jamaica is at war with the criminals and the assistance of every well-thinking Jamaican is needed to win that war.

He called on all law-abiding Jamaicans to rise up and say enough is enough.