WORLD LENS SPECIAL: CRISIS IN JAMAICA

State of Emergency

Jamaica declared a state of emergency Sunday following violent exchanges between masked gunmen and police officers in Kingston. A police station in West Kingston was torched in the midst of the violence. The masked gunmen were defending reputed drug lord, Christopher “Dudus” Coke, who is being sought for extradition to the United States to face charges.

Wanted: Christopher “Dudus” Coke

American authorities say Coke has been trafficking cocaine to the streets of New York City since the mid-1990s, allegedly hiring island women to hide the drugs on themselves on flights to the U.S. His base is located in a Kingston slum.

Officers in Danger

Sunday evening, four police stations came under heavy fire from gangsters roaming the streets with high-powered guns. Police say the attacks were unprovoked.

Death Toll

Here, a police officer stands guard blocks away from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood in Kingston (where Coke is based). As of Thursday, the death toll from four days of fighting had risen to 74. The four-day gunbattle occurred around the capital on Jamaica's south coast, far from the tourist resorts on the north shore of the Caribbean island.

Support for Dudus

Residents in West Kingston neighborhoods have set up barricades to prevent the police for entering the slums to execute the order to extradite the alleged drug kingpin to the United States.

Clearing the Road

Police officers clear a barricaded road blocks away from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood, Kingston. Coke's offices were found in the heart of the slum, according to a police official.

Standing Guard

Police officers stand guard blocks away from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood, Kingston.

Standing Guard

Police officers stand guard blocks away from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood, Kingston.

On Patrol

Soldiers patrol blocks away from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood, Kingston, Wednesday. More than 500 people had been arrested in connection with the four days of fighting, most of them in Tivoli Gardens. Police were searching for weapons, but had found only six, along with 7,000 rounds of ammunition and some improvised explosives, a police official said.

Directing Traffic

A soldier controls the traffic at a check point blocks away from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood. Detainees (those who fought against security officers) were held at Kingston's National Arena, where dozens of relatives congregated outside a security gate, some carrying pictures of their sons.

The Search is On

This image from APTN video shows Jamaican police officers pointing their guns from inside a police vehicle in Kingston, Jamaica. Thousands of police and soldiers stormed the Jamaican ghettos in search of the reputed drug kingpin wanted by the United States. But the target of the manhunt, Coke, has yet to be found.

Escaping Gun Shots

Policemen go into action at the Central Police Station gate in downtown Kingston after gunmen open fire on them. According to Deputy Police Chief Glenmore Hinds, three security officers were killed in battles with gunmen loyal to Coke.

Taking Cover

Police take cover during operations in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday. Police rarely, if ever, patrol inside Coke's slum. The last time they attempted to assert control inside Tivoli Gardens, in 2001, clashes between gunmen and security forces killed 25 civilians, a soldier and a constable.

Confronting Gunmen

Police take cover during operations in Kingston.

Reassuring the Public

Police prepare to leave their vehicle while patrolling on North Street in Kingston. Authorities have tried to reassure the public about the ability and willingness of authorities to control Kingston's downtown slums.

Park Lane

A police officer monitors Park Lane, a thoroughfare adjacent to Red Hills Road in the capital city of Kingston, Jamaica.

On Guard

This frame grab from video provided by APTN shows soldiers on guard in Kingston, Jamaica.

“We Will Die for Dudus”

Last week, demonstrators displayed signs with messages in support of Christopher "Dudus" Coke during a march in Kingston.

A Community Hero

Residents hold up signs in support of Coke. Coke, also known as "general" and "president," allegedly relied on a band of gunmen to keep control of Tivoli Gardens. He solidified his authority by dispensing charity and street justice in an area with little government presence.