Oversight body the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is confirming that three of the five firearms recovered from Sunday’s shootout in Spanish Town, St Catherine were police service weapons.
Further, INDECOM says it also recovered two sets of registration plates, a third set was attached to the front and rear of the car; a police vehicle logbook for one set of the plates found inside the car; and a detachable police blue emergency light.
It is reported that an off-duty cop witnessed when a man, identified as Sheldon Daley, was shot by armed men.
The off-duty cop challenged them and then gave chase to a white Nissan AD Wagon which the men used to flee the scene.
During the subsequent chase, according to INDECOM, it is reported that gunshots were fired from both the white Nissan vehicle and the off-duty cop.
The white Nissan vehicle reportedly collided with a silver Nissan AD Wagon at the junction of Brunswick Avenue and Jobs Lane.
Following the crash, further shots were reportedly discharged.
At the crash scene, it was discovered that one of the men in the white Nissan wagon, later identified as Corporal Rohan Williams, and man in the silver AD wagon, who was later identified as Kevron Burrell, had suffered gunshot injuries.
They both subsequently died.
Three other civilians who were in the silver Nissan vehicle were seriously injured.
INDECOM says neither Daley nor Burrell were in possession of a firearm.
Further, INDECOM says, as part of its probe, it was determined that three men in the white Nissan AD Wagon were all off-duty policemen attached to the police force's Mobile Reserve.
The two surviving cops were detained.
According to INDECOM, one of the cops, Corporal Kirk Frazer, absconded while in detention and is being actively sought by the police and that the second policeman is currently in police custody.
INDECOM says it was also confirmed that the white Nissan AD wagon is a police service vehicle allocated to the Mobile Reserve.
It also confirmed that the two surviving cops were on bail in the Circuit Court on two different murder charges.
INDECOM says it is conducting a number of parallel investigations.
In addition to discovering precisely how these three men lost their lives and who was responsible, it is enquiring:
* The status of the charged officers and why they were not suspended from full police duty – a report has already been requested from the Commissioner of Police to address this matter;
* To establish how these officers were able to secure a police service vehicle, police guns and ammunition to embark on this incident;
* To determine how Cpl. Kirk Frazer was able to escape from custody having been detained at the scene; and
* To establish the ownership and provenance of all the firearms recovered in the white Nissan AD wagon.
INDECOM says the enquiry is complex and has the full cooperation of the JCF’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, BSI and MID.
Anybody who has witnessed or has any information regarding this incident are being asked to contact INDECOM at 876-968-1932, 876-968-8875, incident tip line: 888-991-5555 or via whatsapp at 876-553-5555.
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