Haitian police lose three officers in 72 hours amid gang violence wave

PORT-AU-PRINCE — In just three days, Haiti’s National Police (PNH) lost three officers and an armored vehicle in deadly clashes with gangs in Liancourt and Kenscoff, underscoring the scale of the country’s rampant security crisis.

The attacks between Aug. 11 and 13 targeted members of the Temporary Anti-Gang Unit (UTAG) and the Departmental Operations and Intervention Brigade (BOID). They came less than a week after André Jonas Vladimir Paraison took office as police director general, replacing embattled Normil Rameau with a crucial mandate to restore stability amid escalating gang violence.

On Aug. 11, UTAG officer Guy Rurley Bathalien, from the 34th graduating class, was shot in the neck during a gunfight with the Gran Grif gang in Liancourt, Artibonite Department. He died after being taken to the hospital. The area has experienced repeated deadly attacks on police, with gangs maintaining control despite sporadic operations supported by the Kenya-led multinational force (MSS).

Less than 48 hours later, a BOID patrol in Kenscoff, a few miles southeast of the capital, was ambushed. Two officers were killed, their bodies dragged on the ground by the assailants. Three others were wounded.

“In Kenscoff, what plan do we have when every day bandits challenge the police by killing officers, stealing weapons, and setting armored vehicles on fire?”

 Mackenley Étienne, Facebook user

PNH deputy spokesperson Lionel Lazarre said the officers attempted to return fire but were forced to retreat. The victims’ names in the Kenscoff attack have not been released.

During the attack, gang members set fire to an armored police vehicle in the Téléco area — days after two armored vehicles belonging to the MSS were destroyed on Aug. 9. The attackers also seized firearms, bulletproof vests and other equipment. Videos circulating online show gang members desecrating the officers’ bodies, setting them ablaze and brandishing stolen weapons.

Leadership tested as security crisis persists

Paraison, a former divisional commissioner and founder of BOID in 2015, was appointed Aug. 8. His first week in office has already been marked by police officer deaths and equipment losses.

He inherits a force weakened by sustained gang assaults. From 2024 to June 2025, the PNH reported more than 33 officers killed, over 18 police stations burned and about 90% of the capital fell under gang control.

Shocked by images of the attacks, citizens voiced outrage on the  PNH’s Facebook page, calling for urgent reforms.

“In Kenscoff, what plan do we have when every day bandits challenge the police by killing officers, stealing weapons, and setting armored vehicles on fire?” wrote Mackenley Étienne. 

Another user, Justin Joël, warned that more officers’ families would be left without breadwinners if the situation persisted.

“Tell me what we are doing for the country: is it just nice speeches and strategic meetings while the bandits advance? Where are the drones and the intelligence funds?” Joël asked.

Despite support from the Multinational Security Support Mission, gangs retain control of several neighborhoods in Kenscoff. Roads linking the capital to the Southeast Department are blocked, and residents are fleeing.

In search of support, Paraison has begun meeting with Haitian and international partners. On Aug. 11, he met with MSS commander Godfrey Otunge. In the following days, he held talks with Canada’s ambassador, U.S. State Department officials, Prime Minister Fils-Aimé and new CPT president Laurent Saint-Cyr.

Paraison attended his first meeting as the PNH director general on Aug. 13, when he worked with the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN), which includes both the prime minister and the CPT president.

After those meetings, officials reiterated a “zero tolerance” policy toward gangs. 

“The government reaffirms its commitment to combating insecurity in all its forms,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement. “And to working hand in hand with all of the country’s active forces to build a future of peace, stability and hope for the Haitian people.”

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