WESTERN BUREAU — The Westmoreland police have seized the firearm of a security guard for ballistic testing and is to submit the case file to the director of public prosecutions for a ruling following the fatal shooting of a 19 year-old man at an exotic nightclub by a security guard.

According to the police, at about 12:30 am yesterday Richard Coombs, a tiler of Wharf Road in Westmoreland, went to the entrance of Club Cancer, a popular nightclub in Smithfield, and demanded that he be allowed in free of cost.

The police said a guard who was working at the entrance of the club insisted that Coombs should pay the $100 entrance fee. But, according to the police, Coombs refused and tried to force his way in.

The police said that when the guard insisted that Coombs would have to pay before entering the club he became boisterous and pushed his right hand in his pants waist. The guard subsequently fired one warning shot. The police said Coombs then advanced on the guard, who reportedly fired another shot hitting him in the chest.

He was taken to the Savanna-la-Mar General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No weapon was reportedly found on the deceased man’s body.

Following the incident, patrons at the club who were upset at the shooting mobbed the security guard and accused him of killing Coombs in cold blood.

The guard, however, managed to escape and sought refuge in a nearby house.

Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) liaison officer for Westmoreland, Sergeant Alva Douglas, told the Observer that the guard was being questioned by the police and his service revolver has beer seized for ballistic testing.

Douglas added that statements on the incident were being collected and on completion the file will be sent to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) for a ruling.