‘The harder they come, the harder they will fall’

WESTERN BUREAU:

TWO HIGH-POWERED firearms were seized by members of the security forces in a targeted operation in Flanker, St James, yesterday, at a premises believed to be connected to Peter Johnson, the 25-year-old who was shot and killed in an incident involving the police during election day activities on February 26.

“Since that election day shooting incident, we have been getting threats from criminal elements in Flanker, so based on intelligence, we carried out a targeted operation at a premises linked to Johnson and we found the two weapons,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Vernon Ellis, the police commander for St James.

The weapons seized were identified as a slightly rusted AKMS rifle (a variation of an AK47) with a magazine affixed, along with a camouflage 9mm suppressed sub-machine gun, also with a magazine affixed.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT

While no one was found in the abandoned building where the guns were located, Ellis said criminal elements who have been issuing threats against the security forces are firmly on the police’s radar, and will be relentlessly pursued until they are found.

“We are fully committed to removing these criminals and their weapons from off the streets because our primary goal is to create a safe environment for the citizens of St James,” said Ellis. “We intend to respond to every threat, and we want these gangsters to know that the harder they come, they harder they will fall.”

According to an official release from the police on the incident, shortly after 7 a.m. yesterday, a joint police-military team conducted a targeted raid on premises on Central Avenue, Flanker, aimed at apprehending individuals involved in the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

During the operation, the weapons were found in an abandoned building. While no one was apprehended at that location, one man, who was deemed to be trying to evade the operation was taken into custody pending further investigations.

Johnson, also known as ‘Jolo’, was shot and killed on the day of the local government election, February 26, when he allegedly engaged the police in a gunfight in proximity to a polling station. An illegal firearm was allegedly seized in the incident.

However, things got very tense after the shooting as residents, including some who claimed to be eyewitnesses, said Johnson was killed in cold blood.

Johnson was said to be on the police’s radar for serious crimes committed in the parish.

According to Ellis, the police has been generating intelligence on the gangsters as more and more residents are becoming increasingly frustrated with the crime situation and want to be free of the criminal scourge.

“If we continue to make the gains we are now making, thanks to the communities that are partnering with us against lawlessness, we will continue to have the upper hand against those who choose to be lawless, as we are better trained, and better equipped than they are,” said Ellis. “We have increased our intelligence gathering at the wharf and other ports of entry, as we are determined to put these so-called gangsters out of business.”

editorial@gleanerjm.com