Jamaica: Man shot dead by Police during early morning operation in Spanish Town

Jamaica: A man in his early forties was killed during an operation conducted by the police in Golden Pen, Spanish Town, on Wednesday morning, May 6, 2026. The deceased has been identified as Andrae Belone (41), also known as “Coolie”, a labourer from Marl Road in Gordon Pen.

According to police reports, officers from the St Catherine North Police Division were conducting an operation at about 5:30 a.m. They were looking for murderer suspects and had arrest warrants with them.

Police responded to a call at a property with two houses and went to one of the buildings after noticing a man and a woman inside. The officers identified themselves and asked the people to open the door and come outside.

Investigators said that the woman did as she was told, but Belone refused to leave the building. Police reported that after another command was given, Belone pulled a handgun from the back of his waistband.

The officers took cover before they opened fire at him. After the shooting ended, Belone was found injured with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to the Spanish Town Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Police officers on-site also recovered a Smith & Wesson pistol with a blanched serial number. The firearm was fitted with a magazine containing three rounds of ammunition.

The Independent Commission of Investigations has launched an investigation into the incident.

Locals have taken to social media, questioning the rise in police related deaths. One individual stated, “It’s the same story we’re hearing over and over a million times” while another said, “Body cameras? Server issues? Ballistics? Forensics? Jamaica’s cleaning industry is of dead men. We live through it daily.”