Haitian police officer dies amid airlift delays after gang clash

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian National Police (PNH) officer Josué Saintina died Monday after being shot in the head during a clash with armed groups in Labodrie, Arcahaie — a death his colleagues say could have been prevented if he had been airlifted to a hospital in Port-au-Prince.

In a statement Tuesday, PNH officials said Saintina had fallen into a coma shortly after the shooting and was deemed “too unstable” for air evacuation aboard the police ambulance helicopter — despite urgent calls from officers at the scene. Instead, he received intensive care at a local hospital, where doctors were unable to stabilize him.

But the police union disputes that account, arguing that timely transport to the capital — just 20 to 30 miles away — could have saved his life.

“The police failed him,” said Mathieux Sidel, spokesperson for the National Union of Haitian Police Officers (SYNAPOHA). “This depends on the influence of the responsible officer and how quickly they act to prevent a policeman from succumbing to their injuries.”

The PNH vowed to “relentlessly track and bring to justice” those behind the attack, calling Saintina’s death a reminder of the growing dangers officers face as armed groups escalate violence across the country.

Union says officers’ survival depends on who their commander is

The National Union of Haitian Police Officers (SYNAPOHA) criticized authorities for their slow response and inconsistent support for injured officers — a recurring issue inside a force strained by years of gang attacks, limited resources and failing infrastructure.

“This depends on the influence of the responsible officer and how quickly they act to prevent a policeman from succumbing to their injuries,” SYNAPOHA spokesperson Mathieux Sidel told The Haitian Times. He referenced a Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI) officer injured in Lascahobas whose commander secured an attempted transfer to Santo Domingo — efforts that came too late.

Saintina’s death, he added, shows how inconsistent emergency protocols and unreliable air transport continue to cost lives.

A recurring tragedy in a collapsing security system

This is not the first time an officer has died due to the lack of timely emergency evacuation.

In Sept. 2024, SWAT officer Dorce Scudery died from a gunshot wound after doctors in Fond-des-Blancs requested a helicopter transfer that never arrived.

Haiti’s worsening security collapse has left many roads under gang control and air transport unreliable. Multiple police helicopters have been grounded or destroyed — including one burned by officers last week in Croix-des-Bouquets to prevent it from falling into gang hands — making critical evacuation nearly impossible.

Five officers have been killed so far in November alone.

Richard Jean Louis and Saintina’s death brings the total number of police officers killed this month to five:

• Josué Saintina, 34th class — killed Nov. 17 in Arcahaie
• Richard Jean Louis, 22th class — killed Nov. 18 in Turgeau
• Angelot Jeanty, 25th class — shot dead Nov. 15 in Delmas 33
• Unnamed officer, 28th class — also killed Nov. 15 by unknown gunmen
• Wadley Jeune, 34th class — died Nov. 14 after a shootout in Lascahobas

Three were killed in direct clashes with gangs; two were assassinated by unidentified shooters.

PNH intensifies offensive as gangs escalate nationwide—‘the police will no longer wait’

The deaths come as the PNH shifts to a more aggressive posture following weeks of gang attacks across Port-au-Prince and provincial towns. Since Nov. 5, police have carried out operations against the:

• 400 Mawozo and Chen Mechan gangs in Croix-des-Bouquets and Tabarre
• Jouma gang in Simon Pelé
• Canaan-affiliated groups in Mirebalais
• Criminal networks downtown near the National Palace

These operations have resulted in multiple gang deaths and the seizure of weapons and heavy equipment.

On Nov. 16, gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier urged residents to stay off the streets, warning of confrontations with police. His threats shut down the capital through Nov. 18, with schools, banks and businesses closed and traffic severely limited.

“PNH elite units were deployed, criminal strongholds destroyed, and criminals neutralized,” the police said Tuesday. 

Police Director General Vladimir Paraison reiterated that leave has been suspended and all personnel fully mobilized.

“The Police I now lead are no longer in defensive mode,” Paraison said. “We will not just wait and protect our positions — it is them who should be waiting for us.”

As Haiti’s security forces push deeper into gang-held territory with limited resources and unreliable emergency support, Saintina’s death underscores the dangers facing officers — and the human cost of a state struggling to respond to a nationwide armed conflict.

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