Jamaica Police Shootings: Officer Charged with Murder After Woman Killed During Protest

The killing of a 45-year-old woman during a protest in St James, Jamaica, has ignited a fresh wave of anger and calls for police accountability across the Caribbean. Latoya "Buju" Bulgin was shot on 17 May in Granville as she took part in a demonstration against the earlier killing of her 17-year-old cousin, Tjey Edwards, by police. Now, a constable has been charged with murder, and the entire region is watching closely.

Jamaica Police Shootings: Officer Charged with Murder After Woman Killed During Protest as Island Grapples with Police Violence

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – This Week — The shooting has sent shockwaves through Granville and surrounding communities in St James, where residents describe a once-peaceful area now strained by rising tensions. For many in the Caribbean, this case is uncomfortably familiar — another family mourning, another protest, another call for answers that seems to go unanswered.

Community Mourns Latest Loss in St James

The killing of Latoya Bulgin has left neighbours asking how a demonstration against earlier violence could end in further loss. Residents of Granville, a community in the parish of St James, are struggling to make sense of events that have fractured trust between the public and the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The Independent Commission of Investigations has confirmed that police were conducting crowd control duties at the time of the incident.

Sequence of Events Unfolds in Recent Weeks

CCTV footage that circulated online appeared to show an officer firing at Bulgin's minivan without clear warning. According to reports, the vehicle was stationary at the side of the road with several people climbing out when it began to pull forward. An officer standing nearby drew a handgun and fired. The footage has been widely shared across social media, prompting outrage both within Jamaica and among Caribbean diaspora communities abroad.

Legal Steps Taken Against the Officer

On 4 June, Constable Andrew Wilson appeared in court charged with murder. He was denied bail, with another hearing scheduled for mid-June. Court proceedings like these draw close attention from families across the Caribbean who have waited years for accountability in similar cases. The denial of bail signals that the matter is being treated with seriousness by the judicial system, though questions remain about whether this represents a meaningful shift in how police-involved killings are handled.

Protests Erupt and Voices Rise

The incident sparked violent protests in Granville, reflecting deep frustration among residents. Jamaicans for Justice noted that the footage raises serious questions about the use of lethal force by members of the security forces. The group also described as "disturbing" the manner in which Bulgin's body was placed into the back of a police vehicle after the shooting, saying such conduct falls below the standard of respect that should be afforded to citizens.

Regional and International Concern Grows

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights denounced the killing and called for a prompt, independent, impartial and transparent inquiry. Across the Caribbean, voices from Trinidad and Tobago to Barbados have echoed similar calls whenever police-involved deaths occur. These regional connections remind us that issues of public safety affect the entire CARICOM family, especially when families in the diaspora follow developments closely from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Earlier Incidents Highlight an Ongoing Pattern

One Caribbean Television covered a series of Jamaica police shootings in a video published in October 2025. That report examined events including a mass shooting in Commodore, Linstead, St Catherine on 6 October 2025 that left five people dead, among them a four-year-old child, with four others wounded. Suspects in that case were later fatally shot in separate police operations across St Catherine on 9 and 10 October. Another fatal police shooting occurred on Whitehall Avenue in St Andrew on 14 October. These earlier cases form part of a longer record that communities across the region continue to raise in discussions about policing reform.

Broader Caribbean Context on Police Accountability

Security forces across the Caribbean have long faced accusations of unlawful killings, and the issue of police use of lethal force is not limited to Jamaica. In Trinidad and Tobago, the Police Complaints Authority has investigated several fatal shootings, while in Barbados and Guyana, civil society groups have raised similar concerns. The case of Constable Andrew Wilson is being watched across the region as a potential turning point in how the Caribbean justice system addresses police-involved deaths. For many ordinary citizens, the question remains whether this prosecution will lead to broader reforms or remain an isolated response to a particularly public incident.

Looking Ahead with Calls for Accountability

The Jamaica Constabulary Force remains under scrutiny for its use of lethal force, and families across the island hope that the upcoming court hearing will bring clearer answers. In the meantime, community leaders are emphasising the need for dialogue that includes residents, the police and civil society groups to address root causes of violence and rebuild confidence in law enforcement. As we in Trinidad watch these developments unfold, the shared Caribbean experience of loss and resilience keeps us connected in the search for safer streets for everyone.

By Sharon Sahatoo, Staff Writer