THE BUREAU of Special Investigation (BSI) has intensified its investigations into yesterday's shooting incident in St. Mary, where two of three policemen attached to the Greater Portmore Police Station in St. Catherine were shot and injured during a blazing gun battle with other policemen.
Two guns along with two motor cars, a white Mazda 323 and a silver Toyota Corolla, were seized following the incident, which took place shortly after 2:00 a.m. yesterday.
Reports reaching The Gleaner are that the St. Catherine-based policemen and five civilians left Portmore on a trip to the rural town of Boscobel, St. Mary. It is understood that at least one of the three constables who made the trip, should have been on duty at the Greater Portmore Police Station.
ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY
While in Boscobel, the men were seen acting suspiciously at a prominent guest house, a premises that was reportedly under the surveillance of the police for sometime.
The police were summoned to the scene and according to an officer close to the investigation, it was at this time that the two groups of lawmen began shooting at each other.
Reports are that the shooting might be related to an illegal drug/gun running ring operating between St. Mary and St. Ann.
Deputy Commissioner Lucius Thomas not only confirmed the shooting, but noted that the St. Catherine-based policemen were being questioned.
"The three policemen are all constables, we cannot release their names because they might have to face an identification parade," said acting Assistant Commissioner Granville Gause of the BSI.
Mr. Gause said he has since received a preliminary report in relation to the incident. The officer said statements have already been collected and BSI detectives have seized the guns of the policemen who were involved in the shooting.
"I cannot say what is going to happen with this investigation, but we will pursue it in which ever direction it leads us," said ACP Gause.
Head of the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), Superintendent Ionie Ramsay-Nelson, told The Gleaner that a guest house in St. Mary was raided by the men and that the police are looking into the possibility of misconduct on the part of some of the policemen.
"We are hoping that we get the quality statements we need with regards to this matter," she said.
