Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter WESTERN BUREAU:
THE TRELAWNY Police Division is now mourning the death of one of its members, who was killed during a shoot-out with gunmen at Freeman's Hall in the parish on Wednesday night.
The dead policeman has been identified as 37-year-old Detective Constable Clinton Degouthe of the Ulster Spring Police Station.
His death comes less than a week after Constable Michael Francis was murdered in St. Catherine. Before that, Constable Joshua Brissett was shot and killed during a robbery attempt at a grocery shop he operated in Tucker/Irwin, St. James last month.
"I feel distraught, like a fish out of water," Degouthe's friend, Constable Patrick Chin, told The Gleaner yesterday.
"He was a jovial person, very, very duty-bound and overall, just friendly."
Const. Degouthe, who hails from Newhaven in Kingston, is a 15-year veteran of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). He is the third lawman to be killed in 2005 and the second one gunned down in western Jamaica.
The constable was shot in the head during an exchange of gunfire with criminal gunmen. In addition to the fatal bullet, another bullet also lodged in the bullet-proof vest he was wearing.
MORAL SUPPORT
Yesterday, Corporal Raymond Wilson, chairman of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file, was en route to Trelawny to lend moral support to his members. He said he would ensure that counselling was available for his colleagues as the manner in which the constable was killed "has the potential to traumatise his co-workers".
Both government and opposition yesterday extended condolences to the late constable's family and colleague.
"There is no doubt whatsoever that the criminals have declared war on the society and, therefore, the state must be resolute in its response," said Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips in a statement.
"Our rules of engagement must change to fit the circumstances because this enemy must be defeated and law and order must prevail."
In commenting on the deaths of policemen over the past 48 hours, opposition spokesman on security Derrick Smith, said the death of the two "drive home the need for the government to take the crime situation much more seriously." He called for the provision of more resources to the security forces.
Superintendent Cecil Fletcher, commanding officer for Trelawny, said it was too early to speak on the status of the investigation into the death of Constable Degouthe, which is being led by crime chief for the parish, Deputy Superintendent Nigel Hart.
