Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer

Ocho Rios, St Ann:

THE FATAL shooting of a 36-year-old electrician by members of the security forces in Orange Hill, Brown's Town, St Ann, yesterday, sparked a major protest by residents in the town.

The Brown's Town police were forced to call in reinforcement to control the situation after residents of Orange Hill blocked all major roads leading to the town.

Many of the protesters wanted to know why Osbourne Smith of Orange Hill was shot and killed.

Police raid

The incident occurred early in the morning when members of Operation Kingfish carried out a raid in Orange Hill in search of a man, said to be on their most-wanted list.

According to the police, Smith tried to disarm one of their colleagues and was shot. However, the residents are disputing the police version of the killing, claiming that Smith was killed in cold blood in the bathroom of his house.

An alleged member of the notorious Stone Crusher gang was captured by the police.

The protest crippled the flow of traffic in and out of Brown's Town for more than three hours.