Police constable charged with murder over fatal 2024 shooting in Ewarton
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A Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) constable has been charged with murder and wounding with intent in connection with a fatal shooting at the Ewarton Sports Complex in St Catherine in October 2024.
The officer, Constable Orlando Garricks, was charged on Tuesday following an investigation by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM).
The incident, which occurred on October 13, 2024, during a party at the sports complex, resulted in the death of Vivian Francis and left a woman with a gunshot injury.
According to INDECOM, the victims and the police officer were all patrons at the event when an altercation allegedly occurred, during which Garricks discharged his firearm.
The officer reportedly told investigators that he acted in self-defence. However, INDECOM said eyewitness accounts gathered during its investigation differed from his version of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Following its investigation, the commission submitted a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which ruled that Garricks should be charged with murder and wounding with intent.
Garricks appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court on Tuesday, where he was offered bail in the sum of $1 million, with one to three sureties. He was also given reporting conditions.
The matter is scheduled to return to court on Friday, November 13.
INDECOM said there are currently 77 matters arising from its investigations before the courts, 43 of which relate to fatal shooting incidents involving members of the security forces.
The commission also disclosed that 24 members of the security forces have been charged in connection with incidents investigated by the agency since the start of 2026.
Those charged include 22 police officers, among them a former constable, and two correctional officers.
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