Dalton Laing, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The four men killed in a police shooting along Bay Road in Westmoreland Saturday night have now been identified.

They are Clifton Walters, otherwise called 'Man Dog', 25 years old, of Seaton Crescent; Devin Parkinson, 23, also of Seaton Crescent; Orville Russell, otherwise called 'Bootha', about 21 years old, of New Market Oval; and, 14-year-old Romario Bruce of the Shaolin community. All four persons were unemployed.

The Bureau of Special Investigations has launched a probe into the shooting of the four men, who allegedly engaged the police in a gun battle about 8:00 Saturday night.

Opened fire

Reports are that a police party was on patrol when they signalled a white Toyota Corolla station wagon with the four men aboard to stop. The driver of the car complied but, on the approach of the lawmen, the occupants of the car alighted from the vehicle and opened fire.

The police reportedly took evasive action and returned the fire. The four occupants of the car reportedly sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

The police recovered an M-1 enforcer rifle and a Taurus 40-calibre pistol, both with magazines containing three cartridges each.

Walters and Parkinson have had run-ins with the law as they were answering to charges of rape in the Westmoreland Circuit Court. However, questions have been raised by residents of Savanna-la-Mar about Russell and the 14-year-old, whom they say had always been law-abiding citizens.