KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) – St Vincent and the Grenadines police have quelled rumours that an attempt had been made on the life of Deputy Prime Minister Sir Louis Straker over the weekend.

Residents of Ruthland Vale, Layou, were shaken by a barrage of gunshots on Sunday as a police officer assigned to the veteran politician fired upon a group of men.

Commissioner of Police, Michael Charles, however, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the officer on duty at Sir Louis’s house, which is located relatively close to Jackson Bay in Ruthland Vale, saw the men carrying what appeared to be a body.

Charles said that the officer identified himself as a police officer and ordered the men to halt.

One of the men is said to have reached into his waist as if to retrieve an object and the police officer opened fire. The men fled, leaving behind what turned out to be a vault.

The police officered called for backup and on a search of Jackson Bay, discovered a man who was crying for assistance.

Charles said that officers arrested the injured man who is now in hospital. He said the man is also a suspect in the burglary of a venue in the area.

The shooting and subsequent police operation sent the rumour mills in the Central Leeward town grinding, with some residents churning out stories that there was an attempt on the life of the deputy Prime Minister.

They further said that the development was related to the on-going saga surrounding the election results in that district, which the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) is contesting in court.

The NDP lost the December 2015 general election by an 8-7 margin and has refused to accept the results claiming there were various irregularities at the polls.