Police and residents clashed along Blake Road in Central Kingston yesterday after the lawmen shot and killed an alleged gunman in the area.

Up to press time, the police had not issued an official statement on the matter. But, the shooting occurred at minutes after four in the afternoon when the officers allegedly shot and killed a man called 'Doran'. The police say he had committed a shooting in the area on Tuesday night.

The scene was tense even when THE STAR left the area as residents maintained that Doran was shot and killed in cold blood.

"Dem seh dem fin di gun pon him.Why dem kill him. Dem nuh fi carry him een man?" a male resident of the community claimed.

The residents say that while he was no angel, the police constantly terrorised the man before he died. "Him did all haffi go fi him lawyer. Him neva do nutten," said a female resident of the community.

But, as the residents voiced their disapproval of the shooting, things took a turn for the worse when the police held a man who had a baby in his hands.

"A hard-working man, him nuh do nutten. Wha unnu a hol' him fah?" the residents demanded.

Demanded man's release

A brief exchange of words between a plain clothes policeman and residents followed as they demanded the release of the man. Things got worse when a policeman charged from an area of the crime scene while pointing his M16.

"Unnu nuh tek no statement from dem unless mi tell unnu fi dweet. Dem a protect gunman. Unnu a media unnu fi know betta," he said as he walked along the road pointing his M16 at a member of the newsteam. Several residents who stood nearby scurried for cover as a younger policeman used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

"Mi nuh 'fraid a none a unnu," the officer with the M16 continued. "Law and order mus prevail. Di whole a unnu know seh di man a extortionist and do waan shooting up deh so last night. Di whole a unnu a support him because him a feed unnu an' unnu nuh waan go look work. Unnu deh yah siddung pon unnu lazy ass," he said as he ended with a barrage of expletives.

Interestingly, it is not known who was in charge of the operation and none of the officers wore badge numbers.