THE Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) has launched an investigation into Monday night’s shooting and injuring of a civilian by a policeman at the KFC complex along Howard Cooke Boulevard in Montego Bay.

Allegations are that at about 10:20 pm the policeman, who was driving his private vehicle, was involved in an accident with a Nissan Sunny motorcar.

“Apparently the driver of the Nissan hit the police officer’s car in the back, and the police officer got out of his vehicle,” said Constabulary Communications Network liaison officer for St James, Lancelot Tyrrell. “His firearm was falling from his waist, he tried to prevent it from falling and his finger got into the trigger area.”

He added that one round was discharged and which went through the car and injured a passenger who was sitting in the rear of the vehicle. The injured man, who has only been identified as a bus conductor from Cambridge in St James, was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he received treatment. According to Constable Tyrrell, he was in stable condition up to Tuesday.

Tyrrell acknowledged that he had heard reports that some persons had disputed the police report of what occurred, claiming instead that the policeman had intentionally discharged his weapon. But he declined to comment, stressing instead that the BSI had commenced its investigation and the policeman’s gun had been seized for ballistics testing.

The Montego Bay CIB is also investigating the shooting.