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Shooting incidents mar voting in St Catherine and Kingston
Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Tuesday | September 4, 2007
Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator
Voting was yesterday marred by at least three shooting incidents in Kingston and St. Catherine.
"Two of the incidents were acts of intimidation by gunmen, while, in the third, a district constable discharged his firearm to get a crowd of voters under control," a senior officer at the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Operation Management Centre told The Gleaner.
The incident involving the district constable, which took place in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, is now being investigated by members of the Bureau of Special Investigation.
In the first incident, reports are that gunmen struck yesterday on Deanery Road in St. Andrew, near the location, where three men were murdered Sunday afternoon. There were no reports of any injuries, but one man was allegedly roughed up by the gunmen.
In the second incident, the police said several shots were fired in the vicinity of a polling station on North Street, near Lissant Road, Kingston.
"The gunmen ran leaving behind a .38 revolver," acting Assistant Commissioner Granville Gause confirmed yesterday.
Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday, Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas lauded the security forces for what he described as an outstanding performance.
"We got a number of calls about persons being intimidated. Most of these calls were false," said Commissioner Thomas.
Bird's-eye view
While the top cop and his senior officers were taking a bird's-eye view of the situation, courtesy of one of four helicopters they secured from the U.S. Virgin Islands, several quick-response teams were strategically located in various sections across the island.
At the commissioner's office in St. Andrew, a team headed by Inspector Egbert Moore was observed seated under a tent and on alert. An elite unit under the stewardship of Inspector Linroy Edwards was roving the Corporate Area and responding to emergency calls.
Veteran crime fighter Cornwall 'Bigga' Ford and a team from the Flying Squad were also on the streets to ensure a relatively peaceful election.
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