Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
WAVING THEIR guns as they stormed a Super Plus wholesale store in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, four gunmen set the stage for a wild, brazen attempted robbery and when it ended, leaves the four would-be robbers dead, three Super Plus employees wounded, and a police car riddled with bullets.
The attempted robbery started about 11:00 a.m., but what followed next was a wild cops-and-robbers shoot-out that involved a short stand-off, attempted subterfuge by the robbers, and a mob killing by angry residents wielding machetes.
Eyewitnesses to the drama told The Gleaner that shortly after the four robbers entered the store and held up the workers at gunpoint, a police vehicle arrived on the scene. The robbers immediately peppered the police vehicle with bullets, shattering the windshield and forcing the three policemen inside the vehicle to take evasive action.
"De policemen jumped outta de vehicle and started firing back shot while calling for back-up on dem cell phone," said a man, who had a blood-stained machete in his hand.
As the gunbattle raged, workers ducked for cover inside the building, while residents of the community, drawn to the scene by the prolonged gunfire, gathered outside. Two of the gunmen attempted to escape using a paltry attempt at misdirection, but residents quickly spotted the deception.
"We see two a de boys dem coming outta the store wearing red SuperPlus t-shirts. We realise right away dat it was a trick dem trying so we just rush dem and chop out dem daylight," one man explained, his voice almost purple with anger as he flashed his machete in the air.
BRUTALLY DISPATCHED
After seeing how their colleagues were brutally dispatched, the remaining robbers opted for the relative safety of the store and attempted to hold the cops off for as long as possible. They took pot shots at the lawmen at regular intervals but the lawmen, hoping to flush them out, responded by lobbing teargas canisters into the building through a glass door which had been shattered by bullets.
"When the teargas start tek de bwoy dem we just see dem start running outta de building and firing shots like dem mad," said an elderly female, who described the incident as a first in Whitehouse. "The policeman just run down pon dem and give it to dem. De residents then join in and finish dem up with some good (machete) licks."
FIREARMS SEIZED
Four illegal firearms were seized by the cops. The SuperPlus workers -- two men and one woman -- are now at the Black River Hospital.
"One of the men was shot in the abdomen, and any gunshot would to the abdomen is considered serious," Acting Divisional Detective Inspector Paul Simms, said.
On the way to the scene of the shoot-out, The Gleaner news team encountered a speeding three-vehicle police convoy with blaring sirens heading in the opposite direction. Two of the vehicles had what appeared to be lifeless legs hanging out of the trunks of the vehicles, while an ambulance with its roofrack of flashing red lights and siren travelled a short distance behind.
"These men (the dead gunmen) are not from these parts because nobody here knows then," said Inspector Cyril Brissette, of the Westmoreland Police.
