Fierce gunbattle .....5 alleged gunmen killed by police in MoBay
January 29, 2007
The northcoast resort city of Montego Bay was jolted back to reality yesterday after the successful Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, as police sharpshooters took out five alleged gunmen, in a fierce firefight in broad daylight.
Three of the dead men have been identified by police as Kirk Thomas, alias "Joe" of John's Hall, Colin Palmer "Teacher" of Tucker and Stratty McLeod, also of Tucker, all in the parish of St James. The other two were unidentified at Observer press time.
Thomas and McLeod were wanted by the St James police for several alleged murders and shootings committed in the parish, which got the dubious distinction of being the parish with the most murders so far this year.
Police said they also recovered four guns - one .25 guardian automatic; a 9mm semi-automatic; a homemade shotgun and a imitation revolver - 31 rounds of ammunition, a number of cellular phones and a mask.
Accounts by residents who witnessed the dramatic gunfight in apparent disbelief, seemed to support police version that there was an exchange of gunfire when the cops challenged the five men travelling in a grey Honda Accord motorcar registered EK 1085.
The gunbattle along the usually busy Barnett Street in the vicinity of Fustic Road, came against the run of play yesterday as Montego Bay quietened down after a weekend of jazz that filled and overflowed the city's hotels.
Superintendent in charge of crime for Area One, Wilford Gayle told reporters last night that the police were on patrol at about 2:30 pm yesterday when the grey Honda motorcar was spotted along Barnett Street.
"Five men alighted from the car and they were accosted by the police. The gunmen pulled their guns and a shoot-out ensued. Three of the men were shot on Barnett Street. One along McCathy Street and the other along Foster Avenue," Gayle said. All of them were taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where they were pronounced dead," said Gayle.
The windscreen of the motor car in which the alleged gunmen were travelling was riddled with bullets while the interior was bloodied. Last night the police had not yet determined who owned the vehicle or whether it had been stolen....
Author: Mark Cummings
Source: Jamaica Observer
