BRAZEN ATTACK IN JAMAICA : Man who attempted murder in police station shot dead by lawmen

BY KIMONE FRANCIS Observer staff reporter francisk@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, December 29, 2016    

A gunman was yesterday cut down in a hail of bullets by lawmen at the Hunt’s Bay Police Station in St Andrew when he did the unthinkable — attempting a brazen daylight murder at the station.

Up to press time yesterday the dead man had not been identified. Police say the man he attacked received gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body and was taken to hospital where he was admitted in serious but stable condition.

A female motorist, who was travelling on Marcus Garvey Drive towards the Portia Simpson Miller Square, was also injured in the shootout that ensued at approximately 12:45 pm. Her condition was not known last night.

Dozens of spent shells littered the entrance to the St Andrew station which was blotched with blood and pieces of splinters from shattered car windows, as several vehicles parked on the premises were sprayed with bullets during the gun battle. No police officer was injured in the incident.

Head of the St Andrew South Police Division, Superintendent Arthur Brown, told the Jamaica Observer that the man who was attacked was reporting on condition for bail after he was charged with murder.

“… On reaching the entrance to the station he was pounced upon by a lone gunman who opened fire at him. The police officers who were on the compound challenged the gunman and a shootout ensued. The gunman was shot and injured; he was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Information we received is that he was clad in a bullet proof vest and we took a Glock 9-mm pistol from him [along] with three magazines with 23 rounds,” Brown said.

The police superintendent said he could not confirm whether the shooting was an act of reprisal, neither could he confirm reports from people on the scene who said that the two had a long-standing dispute.

“I can’t speak to that because we do not yet know the victim. When we get the information we can say further,” he said.

The police division head, in the meantime, sought to ease any concern that citizens might have as the incident occurred on the doorsteps of one of the country’s most populated police posts and in light of the alarming crime situation in the country.

“We’ll be relentless in our endeavours to make sure that our citizens are safe and we are reassuring them that we will be doing everything that we can within our powers to assist the public at large,” Superintendent Brown said.