The authorities are pushing back at claims of a security breach at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. James, following a fatal police shooting involving an American citizen early Friday morning.
The man’s identity has not been released as investigations continue.
Initial reports suggested there had been a breach of the airport’s perimeter. But in a statement on Friday, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz sought to dispel those claims, insisting that at no point was the airport’s security compromised.
“Further to media reports of someone being fatally wounded at the Sangster International Airport, I can indicate the following: It was not on the airport compound, but on the road in the vicinity of the fuel farm. The individual was not in the process of heading to the airport or from the airport. And we can also indicate that at this moment we are trying to figure out whether individual was a US citizen or a US resident,” he said.
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has since confirmed that the deceased is in fact an American citizen.
Reports are that sometime before 3 o’clock Friday morning, the police were summoned after a man was seen in the vicinity of the fuel storage area near the airport road, leading to cargo.
INDECOM’s Director of Complaints for the Western Region, Warren Williams, told Radio Jamaica News that initial reports suggest the man was shot after he began throwing objects at members of the police team.
He was later taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A policeman is said to have been injured during the incident.
While the details surrounding the incident remain under investigation, the government is maintaining there was no breach.
The incident sparked concerns given the sensitivity of the location. However, the authorities say operations at the airport continue.