'Tense calm' in Mountain View - Gunmen engage police in post-World Cup battle
Published:Monday | July 16, 2018 | 12:00 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
Members of a police patrol team emerged unhurt from a sustained gun battle lasting more than two hours with criminals in Mountain View, east Kingston, on Sunday, which has resulted in tension in the community.
Victor Hamilton, superintendent in charge of the east Kingston police, told The Gleaner yesterday that gunmen from Jarrett Lane were en route to Oliver Road to attack residents when they were intercepted by the police and challenged.
But residents of Jarrett Lane are upset, claiming that they were being wrongfully accused.
"There is usually gang-on-gang violence, which was bad. But when gunmen deliberately turn their weapons on law enforcement in such a manner as they did yesterday, that gives us cause for concern," Hamilton said.
"The area is quiet at this time. We have local resources in there, from Kingston eastern and we have external resources from Mobile Reserve. The area is calm, but it is a tense calm."
However, residents of Jarrett Lane contradicted police reports. They alleged that threats were being circulated that an attack would emanate from Oliver Road once the World Cup finals between France and Croatia ended on Sunday.
"No saint is here, but they must stop spreading rumours. As the World Cup done, dem start it. Why are they calling Jarrett Lane's name? Even children were running up and down on Sunday on the lane when the shots began firing," one woman told The Gleaner. "Not even one shot fire inside Jarrett Lane. The police were here and they know that Jarrett Lane fired no shots," she said.
One male resident said that the development stemmed from an ongoing gang war.
"The situation is that two bulls are in one pen and none want to come out. Big, big Sunday after World Cup, there were a lot of gunshots. A threat was sent, but this war has been going on for roughly a year and a half now," he said.