Jamaica Labour Party deputy leader, Dr. Horace Chang (left), and Councillor Leroy Williams examine bullet holes on a Toyota Avalon motor car belonging to JLP caretaker for Western Hanover, Donovan Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton was ambushed by a group of armed men travelling in three motor cars along the Spring Garden main road in St. James on Friday, while on his way from a political meeting in Montgeo Bay.
WESTERN BUREAU:
LAST FRIDAY'S ambush of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for Western Hanover, Donovan Hamilton along the Spring Garden main road in St. James has left members of the party's hierarchy suspicious that the incident may have been politically motivated.
Dr. Horace Chang, JLP deputy leader told The Gleaner that the party would be monitoring the incident closely.
"It is very worrying,' said Dr. Chang. "The character of the attack raises some questions. We have not seen this level of politics in Jamaica. We will be following it closely. I sincerely hope this is not an attack on the candidate.
Mr. Hamilton was ambushed by a group of armed men aboard three motor cars after he left a political meeting in Montego Bay.
Reports are that following the meeting, which ended at 1:00 p.m., he stopped at a garage to clean his car.
At about 4:15 p.m. while proceeding along the Spring Garden main road, he was hit on the bumper lightly, by a Toyota Corolla motor car.
He drove some distance and a man came out and said he was using the cellphone and was sorry about the incident.
Suspicious, Mr. Hamilton dove away and stopped a short distance away. On the second stop, two other cars passed him and turned into a road, with the occupants firing shots at him.
A licensed firearm holder, Mr. Hamilton, reportedly took evasive action and returned the fire. The men then drove away.
Dr. Chang said, "I am aware that a bank teller was hijacked in the same area. There was no shooting because she stopped as soon as she was hit and the car taken."
"One would like to think that it was a simple attempt at theft, but Mr. Hamilton was driving a Toyota Avalon motor car, which is an unusual vehicle and as such would hardly be a target for theft.
