Hanover residents disarm menacing gunman
Published:Monday | July 8, 2024 | 12:07 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The police are searching for a gunman and his two accomplices who fled after being disarmed by residents during an altercation in Hanover on Saturday.
According to reports, at about 10 a.m., a man, who was armed with a Glock 19 pistol, and his two cronies accosted another man with whom they had earlier had a dispute. The firearm was reportedly pointed in his face as they began threatening him, but other residents, who observed what was taking place, challenged the men.
In the melee that followed, the gunman was held and disarmed, but he escaped their grasp as they tried to restrain him. His cronies also ran away from the irate citizens, leaving behind the pistol and a brown 250CC Missile motorcycle with no registration plate affixed.
“The residents really should be commended because they did well on all levels. They could have stood by and did nothing, and they [could] have attacked the men and killed them because mob killing is common in Jamaica,” said Assistant Superintendent of Police Andrew Nish, the police commander for Hanover.
“We know these criminals will not be happy about what happened and might want to take revenge for losing that gun, but we are putting plans in place to prevent them from going back there,” he added.
After the incident, the police were alerted and promptly visited the community, where the residents handed over the firearm and the motorcycle.
“We are extremely happy that the residents intervened because if they didn’t, more than likely, that man would have been killed,” said Nish. “I will personally be speaking to these residents to express our sincere gratitude to them for what they did.”
Hanover, which was once dubbed the nation’s safest parish, has been popping up on the nation’s crime radar with regularity in recent years.
Last month, the parish had a particularly bloody day when five men were killed in three separate incidents within an 18-hour window.