Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine:

The fatal shooting of an 11-month-old infant allegedly by the police yesterday afternoon plunged sections of Spanish Town into chaos, as angry residents mounted roadblocks along the March Pen Road to protest against the killing.

According to reports reaching The Gleaner, about 4:00 p.m. yesterday a police party was in pursuit of a motor vehicle that was operating as a taxi in breach of its licence. The police reportedly opened fire on the vehicle as the driver tried to escape. When the smoke cleared, it was discovered that the infant, who was a passenger inside the vehicle, was hit in the head. He died on the spot.

As news of the child's death spread throughout the community, hundreds of residents took to the streets using fire, stones and other debris to block the Spanish Town bypass. This action resulted in traffic coming to a halt in some areas, while other drivers were forced to take other routes. Traffic piled up even where there were no physical blockages.

Commuters flee town

Up to late evening yesterday, hundreds of commuters were seen scurrying to get out of Spanish Town.

A strong detachment of police, drawn from Spanish Town and other stations,was seen in the area and the Bureau of Special Investigations has been called in to probe the matter.

The police have, however, given a different version of the incident. According to the official police report, policemen from the Island Special Constabulary Force spotted a vehicle and signalled the driver to stop.

The driver sped away and the police gave chase. They were subsequently fired on by the occupant/s of the vehicle they were chasing. They returned the fire and the infant was later discovered with gunshot wounds. The driver of the car fled the scene and is being sought by the police.