An alleged member of the Westmoreland-based Kings Valley Gang has been identified as one of two men who were shot and killed by the police during a reported confrontation.
Over the years, the Kings Valley Gang has been linked to various criminal activities and has been the subject of multiple police investigations and operations. The alleged member of the gang who was fatally shot has been identified as 36-year-old Ricardo Hemmings.
Per reports from the Jamaica Observer, Hemmings is believed to have been a contract killer and “trigger man” for the criminal organisation. He was a person of interest in Westmoreland as well as several other police divisions.
According to reports, acting on intelligence, which suggested that Hemmings was hiding at a residence in Lime Hall, St. Ann, the police conducted a pre-dawn operation in the area on Monday. As the police team approached a two-bedroom house, two men attempted to flee from the rear of the premises.
One of the men allegedly opened fire at the officers. The officers returned the fire and hit one of the men. However, his companion escaped.
After the officers proceeded with their operation, another assailant allegedly began firing at them from inside the house. The man was shot when the officers returned fire, and a .45-calibre pistol with a magazine containing three rounds was reportedly later seized from the scene.
The two injured men were transported to the St. Ann’s Bay Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. So far, Hemmings has been the only man among the two deceased whose identity was shared with the public.
According to reports, Hemmings was first listed as a person of interest by the authorities in 2016. He allegedly fired at the police after an attempt was made to apprehend him.
He was later moved to the JCF’s wanted list in 2017 after he was linked to the murder of Ricardo ‘Manny’ Stewart in Grange Hill. Over the past few years, Hemmings has been linked to multiple other crimes, including the 2020 shooting of four people in Grange Hill.
However, he reportedly evaded arrest by altering his appearance. Hemmings, who was earlier known by the aliases ‘Junior’ and ‘Black Oil’, later used the moniker ‘Chin Mix’ because his bleached complexion gave him the appearance of a man of Chinese descent.
