News

LOCKDOWN

By RASBERT TURNER, Star Writer

This youngster and his guardian pass a soldier who stands watch in Tawes Pen, St. Cathrine. - JUNIOR DOWIE

SPANISH TOWN

SEVERAL SECTIONS OF Spanish Town, St. Catherine, were locked down for hours yesterday as gunshots echoed in the air and roadblocks decorated the streets.

The shutdown, residents and police say, was as a result of the detention of Andrew 'Bun Man' Hope, a top man in the notorious one order gang. Hope was taken into police custody during an operation in the Tawes Pen community. He was later released.

But as news of Hope's detention spread through Spanish Town, gunmen took to streets in the community firing shots and blocking roads and ordering several business to close their doors. Roadblocks were mounted on Cumberland road, Young Street, French Street, Wellington Street and several other places.

Roadblocks

Gunshots were heard in the Adelaide Street, Shelter Rock and several other areas. This forced police and soldiers, who were mostly around Tawes Pen, to deploy patrols to these areas and to clear the roadblocks.

The violence caused the Spanish Town High School to close and students were sent home for their safety.

When THE STAR visited the Tawes Pen area, residents were irate. They claim Hope is their boss and if the authorities do not released him the situation in Spanish Town will get worse. "A mi boss and if dem nuh stop interrogate and trouble him wi ago teck to de street and do weh wi affi do. To much soldier round ya and wi nuh want dem yah," one irate resident shouted.

The residents say the soldiers have become abusive. Some claim that they were hit by soldiers, others accused them of having no manners and treating them like animals. "Dem treat wi like seh wi a animal and wi a treat dem same way. Dem get mi cross, angry and miserable and dem fi move out a di place."

On June 10, 2003 residents also took to the streets after Hope was arrested by the police for breaches of the Firearms Act, a charge that has since been acquitted.