Two cops, warder before court on assault charges—Indecom

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Two Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) constables and one correctional officer have appeared in court after being charged in connection with three separate assault matters investigated by the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom). Constable Omari Gooden appeared before the St Catherine Parish Court on September 22, 2026, to answer to a charge of unlawful wounding contrary to section 39 of the Offences Against the Person Act. The charge is in relation to the alleged assault of a man on July 30, 2020, on Burke Road in St Catherine.

The complainant alleges that he sustained injuries to his lip, neck and right flank during a physical altercation arising from a dispute over vehicular damage. The complainant was also charged by the police in relation to that incident. Following an unsuccessful mediation session, the parties were bound over to return to court on November 13, 2026, for case management.

Constable Akino Pennycooke appeared before the St Catherine Parish Court on September 25, 2026, to answer to a charge of unlawful wounding. Pennycooke was off-duty at the time of the incident. The charge arose from the alleged assault of a man at a residence in Portmore in St Catherine on December 22, 2025.

The medical reports indicated that the complainant suffered lacerations, one of which required sutures. The matter returns to court on November 6, 2026. Correctional Officer Tyrone Palmer appeared before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, by summons, on September 23, 2026, charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The charge is in relation to the alleged assault of a man, on July 24, 2025, while in custody at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre. The allegations arose from the use of force against the complainant after contraband was found and seized. Medical evidence states that the complainant sustained a rupture to the central part of his left eardrum, which subsequently healed.

The matter is scheduled to return to court on November 24, 2026. Following Indecom’s investigations, the matters were submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which issued rulings for charges to be laid. With these charges, the total number of law enforcement officers charged in 2026 in relation to incidents investigated by Indecom, has risen to 18.