AN angry mob blocked off sections of Spanish Town yesterday after police reportedly shot a man along Market Street in the area.

Up to press time, Bernard Collins, also known as “Emmanuel”, was being treated in the Spanish Town Hospital for a bullet wound to his abdomen.

The irate demonstrators brought vehicular traffic to a crawl in the old capital as they blocked sections of French, Manchester and Young Streets. The roadblocks were only cleared after Member of Parliament for the area, Olivia “Babsy” Grange addressed the crowd, urging them to end the disturbance.

According to the police information arm, the Constabulary Communications Network, the Bureau of Special Investigations is investigating the incident. Cops say Collins, 34, was shot after he resisted their attempts to arrest him for unlawful wounding.

However, residents told the Observer that Collins’ shooting had its genesis in a shop-breaking incident that occurred in the area Thursday night. The Crystal Blue recording studio along Cumberland Avenue, was said to have been broken into and a piece of amplifying equipment stolen. A man from the area was allegedly seen entering the building the same night, and some residents attempted to carry out their own brand of justice.

Collins, one resident explained, was part of a vigilante group, known as “One Order”, which was determined to stamp out criminal activity in the area. The group, the resident said, would dole out beatings to suspected thieves and pressure them into returning stolen property. It appeared to have the support of at least some community members.

“The One Order is a ting whe dem a try fi keep out the tiefness,” said the resident, who opted not to give his name. “If them find out say you a tief them beat you and make the people dem get back them tings. Too much thief inna the area.”

According to the residents, One Order members went in search of a man who was accused of burgling a business place along Market Street. The man, known only was ‘Tone”, was taken from his Manchester Lane home by a group of about 20 persons who beat him badly, one resident reported.

“Them go fi Tone and beat him bad. A nuff cut him get and them run down a man inna the Lane whe a try defend him,” the source said.

But there have also been reports of political undercurrents in the incident.

Persons who live in Manchester Lane — an area which strongly supports the ruling People’s National Party — alleged that the One Order group consisted of opposition Jamaica Labour Party supporters and Tone’s beating was politically motivated.

“Them come inna the lane with gun, knife, machete and pickaxe stick and say dem want Tone,” the resident said. “Dem beat him and take him go a Railway Lane, Tawes Pen and Eltham and the people dem run dem way say nuh goods nuh deh deh.”

“We surrounded by Labourite but we haffi stand up fi we right,” another resident of Manchester Lane shouted.

Meanwhile, persons who were demonstrating against yesterday’s shooting incident, have accused the police of being disrespectful to the people of Spanish Town and blamed them for the non-recovery of the stolen goods.

“If the police never get involve, the tings dem woulda return long time,” one young woman said.

“The bway dem (cops) shot the big man and say him beat the teif too bad?” remarked another, adding that the incident had only fuelled the community’s anger toward the police.

Lawmen maintained a constant presence in the area for much of yesterday in an effort to maintain order.