Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth:
RESIDENTS OF Newton, St. Elizabeth, blocked the main road leading to Santa Cruz on Monday forcing motorists to use alternate routes to Lacovia and Black River.
Residents, who used fallen trees, old trucks and other debris to block half mile of that main road, were protesting against the police shooting of two residents of the community on Saturday night. The irate residents say the two men who the police now have in custody are innocent of any crime and described the actions of the police as brutality.
However, the Balaclava police reported that about midnight on Saturday, they were on patrol in the Newton community when they saw a motorcar approaching and signalled it to stop.
It is reported that the occupants of the motor vehicle opened fire at the police who returned the fire and the driver of the car sped away.
By 11 o'clock the Lacovia police, assisted by police from the Special Squad, cleared the roadblock mounted by the residents.
