‘Mi caah sleep’ Resident haunted by deadly Five Miles shootout

The sounds of gunfire may have long subsided in the hills of Five Miles, St Catherine, but the events of Friday morning continue to haunt many residents.

One man, who asked to be identified only as Michael out of fear for his safety, said the deadly confrontation has left him traumatised, fearful of another eruption of violence, and reluctant to leave his home.

“Mi really caah sleep,” he told THE STAR. “Mi turn so, gunshot just a ring inna mi ears. Mi turn so, me a wonder if it a guh happen again.”

The incident, which unfolded in the community near Sligoville, claimed the lives of five people, including two police officers. A 10-year-old girl was also injured during the exchange of gunfire.

The officers were identified as Corporal Trevoy Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose, while three civilian men were also fatally shot.

According to police reports, members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Special Operations Branch were conducting an operation in the area in search of wanted men when they came under attack, triggering a fierce gun battle.

For Michael, however, the tragedy has become far more than a shocking headline. His thoughts, he said, constantly drift to the slain officers and the children whose lives have been forever altered by the violence.

“Mi spin suh, mi mind run pan the likkle baby,” he said. “Mi spin suh, mi think bout the police man dem weh drop out. It traumatising.”

The plight of the injured 10-year-old girl has been especially difficult for Michael to process, as he is himself the father of a young child.

“Mi mind caah rest. It come een like hell. And yuh know wah really mash mi chip? Mi a father, and fi know say the likkle girl, oh God…”

Unable to finish the sentence, he broke down in tears.

“It grieve me fi see a this we community come to,” he eventually said.

Born and raised in the area, Michael described Five Miles as a quiet farming district where residents typically spend weekends socialising with neighbours, playing dominoes and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

That atmosphere, he said, disappeared after Friday’s bloodshed.

“We used to sidung round table, play domino, ride bike, make up all sort a noise and dem something deh,” he recalled. “But right now if a pin drop yuh hear it. The community usually quiet, to be honest, but is just a different feeling cloud over we.”

The lingering fear, he explained, has even changed the way some men move around the community. With police maintaining a heavy presence in the area, Michael said he often goes shirtless so officers can easily see that he is not carrying a weapon.

For a lifelong resident, the violence remains difficult to comprehend.

“From mi born and grow yah, mi never yet see something like this yet,” he said.

The tragedy has reignited concerns about crime and public safety across the island. In the aftermath of the shooting, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness described the deaths of the two police officers as a national tragedy and reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting security forces in their efforts to confront heavily armed criminals. He also stressed that the State would not relent in its fight against organised violence and those who threaten public safety.

Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Eastern Natalie Neita Garvey also expressed sadness over the incident, which claimed the lives of police officers and civilians during what has been described as a prolonged gun battle.

She extended condolences to the families of the fallen officers, the Jamaica Constabulary Force and Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake, noting that one of the deceased officers hailed from the constituency.