Cop shot by ‘madman’ during traffic stop

What began as a traffic stop along Maxfield Avenue yesterday afternoon quickly turned into a bizarre shooting incident, leaving a police constable seriously injured after a man disarmed his colleague and shot him repeatedly.

The shooter, who is believed to be of unsound mind, then ran from the scene into the Richmond Park community clutching the lawman’s service pistol.

The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m., nearing peak hour traffic along the usually busy corridor.

An eyewitness told The Gleaner that explosions and screams were heard simultaneously.

“The police dem stop the taxi man with passengers aboard. Dem use their transport and cut across the car found to be in violation. Him deh deh a talk to the driver and the man walk up and disarm him and start shoot the next policeman … the passengers dem start scream out and then a bare chaos,” the eyewitness said.

Witnesses said the shooter appeared to know what he was doing and wanted to end the policeman’s life.

The policeman reportedly scampered for cover and the shooter was still in pursuit.

“The woman inna the car said she see when the man point the gun and the taxi man could have used the vehicle to hit down the man but appeared in shock. The policeman tried to elude the shooter and the man turn the gun under the car and that resulted in the asphalt being shot up,” the eyewitness said.

The Gleaner gathered that the man then ran on to a nearby school compound before escaping into the community of Richmond Park.

A search team was immediately dispatched and combed the area in search of the shooter, who has been described as being of dark complexion and six feet tall.

Up to press time, the suspect had not been held.

The Gleaner understands that the injured policeman, who is assigned to the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), was rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) by the same motorist they stopped.

He was treated and admitted.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com