WESTERN BUREAU – The St James police yesterday ended two days of raids in separate communities during which they shot dead one man, arrested four others, captured four guns, 150 rounds of assorted ammunition, and 192 parcels of marijuana.

Two motor vehicles, a bullet-proof vest and a full suit of army fatigues were also seized by the cops.

Police named the dead man as Roger Haughton, 19, of Irwin Heights. They say he was killed in an exchange of gunfire yesterday morning in that community.

One Raikel .380 semi-automatic pistol with its serial number erased, and a loaded magazine were allegedly taken from the scene of the shooting.

The raids began at about 1:45 pm Saturday when police, armed with a search warrant, went to premises in the Go Peace area of Salt Spring and searched a building.

The search yielded a Glock 26 pistol with serial # EAB213US and four 9mm cartridges, as well as one AK47 assault rifle bearing serial #E509219, with two magazines.

The police also found:

. 57 7.62mm cartridges;

. 80 9mm cartridges;

. nine Smith and Wesson cartridges;

. one bullet-proof vest;

. one suit of army fatigues;

. 27 packets of compressed ganja;

. two motor vehicles – a GMC truck registered 774DD and a Toyota Corolla motorcar; and

. three buckets containing 15 gallons of hash oil.

Shortly after yesterday morning’s encounter with Haughton, the police went to another house in Irwin Heights where they seized a home-made shotgun with two 12 gauge cartridges and arrested three persons who were occupying the building. They were charged with illegal possession of firearm.

Police named them as :

. Twenty-six year-old Livingston Ricketts;

. Claude Lloyd, 25; and

. Donavon Hamilton, 25, both of Irwin Heights addresses.

Another house at Irwin Heights, which was occupied by Byron O’Conner, was also searched and 165 parcels of ganja were allegedly found in a room.

O’Conner was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of and dealing in ganja.

Yesterday, Superintendent Newton Amos, who heads the St James police, said he was pleased with the outcome of the operations.

“We are satisfied with the operations, they are consistent with the plans and initiatives that have been put in place by the police since the start of the year,” he told the Observer.

“Although we have not actually occupied problematic communities,” he said, “we have placed a lot of effort on community-based policing, as well putting in place foot patrols in many communities.”

He said the use of uniformed police on foot and mobile patrols has worked successfully “and by working closer with the people in the communities, their confidence in us has increased significantly”.

“So the initiatives are now bearing fruit,” Amos said.