st thomas men facing gun charge
Published:Friday | December 18, 2015 | 5:32 PM
A WELL-KNOWN St Thomas man is one of two persons who are facing criminal charges after an assault rifle was allegedly found in a vehicle they used to engage the police in a high-speed chase in the parish on Thursday.
The St Thomas Police say Rameish and Richard Simpson, believed to be cousins, were taken into custody after they drove the vehicle a Mitsubishi Pajero into the sea in the Grants Pen area to elude the police.
Deputy Superintendent Charmaine Shand, who heads the St Thomas Police, said members of the Marine Police and the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard removed the vehicle from the sea and, during a search, a bag containing an Uzi sub-machine gun and 16 rounds of ammunition were found.
She said the men will be interviewed in the presence of their attorneys before a decision is taken on whether they will face criminal charges.
Drove into the sea
According to the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), a police team was conducting routine spot checks in the Grants Pen area of St Thomas when they signalled the driver of the sport utility vehicle to stop.
The CCU said the driver ignored the police and, instead, attempted to escape.
"The lawmen pursued the vehicle, and the driver drove the vehicle about 300 metres into the sea," the CCU said in a statement released yesterday.