Spanish Town under fire

Up to press time yesterday, police personnel were still trying to capture a group of gunmen who staged a daring gun attack along the busy Cumberland Road in Spanish Town, St Catherine, yesterday.

Reports are that, at about 2:30 p.m., a motor car came to a halt in the market district of the old capital and three armed men alighted. They fired gunshots hitting several persons, one fatally. The police's Corporate Communications Unit reported that lawmen encountered the vehicle and traded gunfire with the men, fatally wounding one. A firearm was also seized. The vehicle then sped away and, upon reaching Jobs Lane, the gunmen shot and killed a teenager and escaped. Police and military personnel were quickly deployed throughout sections of Spanish Town.

As the security forces took up positions, residents blocked St John's Road near the Tawes Pen entrance, Job Lane, Cumberland Road and other areas. It was the proverbial cat-and-mouse game as police tried clearing the blockage as angry residents remounted them. Meanwhile, commerce was badly affected as shutters had to be drawn early because of how tense the area was.

"We commend the police for their actions, but the businesses which suffer losses will need support to rebound," said Dennis Robotham, president of the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce.

During the chaos, firefighters battled a blaze that affected the Rodney Memorial building which houses court documents, the bailiff office and the Jamaica Archives and Records Department. Residents expressed concerns that the damage caused by previous flare-ups will be replicated.

As a result of the upsurge of criminal activities, a 48-hour curfew began at 6 p.m., covering the areas of Tawes Pen, Ellerslie Pen and 31 St John's Road.

Head of the St Catherine North Police Division, Senior Superintendent Howard Chambers, said the police will be mobilising their efforts to maintain the peace.