KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) says it has launched an investigation into the fatal shooting of a civilian in Montego Bay, St James at approximately 2:30 am Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Oneillio Bailey.

The report received by INDECOM from the police is that a radio message regarding a robbery involving a Blue Toyota motorcar was received. A team of police officers from the Mount Salem Police Station responding to the call, established a cordon on Humber Avenue in the city. It was reported that a vehicle fitting the description of the motorcar approached the cordon and attempted to hit one of the police officers, INDECOM said.

It is also alleged that shots were fired from the motorcar. The police reportedly gave chase, which resulted in the vehicle colliding into a wall on Cottage Road.

It is further alleged that four men alighted from the vehicle, fired at the police, and ran in different directions. An off-duty police officer observed one of the men running and engaged him; the man was shot and injured. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A firearm was allegedly recovered in this incident.

It was further reported that another man who was seen in the Coral Gardens area bleeding was picked up by police, taken to the hospital for treatment and is now being questioned at the Freeport Police Station.

The concerned police officers were served with notices to furnish INDECOM with their accounts of the incident and their weapons have also been taken out of circulation and packaged for submission to the Government Forensic Laboratory for analysis.