WESTERN BUREAU – An unidentified man who the police theorised was attempting to rob an informal foreign exchange trader in Montego Bay was shot dead by a cop who was on patrol in the area yesterday. A firearm and ammunition were taken from the dead man, police said.

Another informal foreign exchange dealer was shot during the incident and taken to a medical facility where he was admitted in stable condition.

According to police, at about 1:10 pm a group of informal foreign exchange traders, also called “Dollars Men”, who ply their trade on the streets of the tourist resort city, were standing between Church and Strand streets when a car drove up.

One of the “Dollars Men” went to the vehicle believing it was carrying a customer. When he neared the car, the foreign exchange trader saw a man alighting with a gun in his hand.

He and his colleagues ran. The armed man chased them, firing wildly and eventually hit one of the money traders.

A police constable who was on patrol and saw what happened, pursued the shooter. Police say both men engaged in a firefight during which the unidentified man was shot dead on Howard Cooke Boulevard.

According to the police, a Lorcin 9mm pistol with a magazine containing seven rounds was taken from him.

Superintendent of police in charge of Area One, John Morris, praised the cop for challenging the gunman single-handedly.

“Extremely courageous and committed to the task, not very often you see a one man taking on a culprit. He should really be commended for an outstanding piece of police work,” Superintendent Morris said.

Some onlookers, who claimed that armed robbers preyed on the informal money exchangers, agreed.

“That police is a hero. That police brave. Him really good fe tek on the bwoy,” one person said. “Him just come and try fe juk down the Dollars Man and start bust it up and the cop tek him on and pitch him over right over deh so.”

Said another: “Dem bwoy de fe dead, because dem just a tek set pon the Dollars Man dem so.”