'Shoot to kill' cannot be the State’s response to crime - INDECOM
Published:Friday | September 16, 2022 | 2:13 PM
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) says a “shoot to kill” policy should not be the State's response to crime.
In a media release a day after National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang urged police personnel to shoot to kill attackers, INDECOM said all public officials should be guided by the Constitution of Jamaica in their statements and actions.
READ: Shoot to kill, Chang tells cops
"In any confrontation, the law gives primacy to the right to life, which is an inalienable constitutional right," INDECOM stated.
The oversight body also stressed that access to medical attention should be afforded to all persons in keeping with the State's obligation to safeguard life.
It noted that injury or surrender are also possible outcomes when law enforcement officials are engaged in solving and tackling crime.
"Law enforcement officials should not be provided with the assertion or insinuation that there is any provision to act with impunity," INDECOM declared.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Inst gram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.