POLICE were last night searching for ‘Mongoose Town’ resident Tafari Forbes, who they said managed to get away during a gunfight with cops in the tough inner-city community in Kingston.

Forbes, said the police, is wanted for murder, illegal possession of firearm, shooting with intent, robbery and attempted murder.

Another man, Byron Lowe, 20, who was shot and injured during the alleged gunfight, was last night in hospital in critical condition under police guard. He is facing charges of illegal possession of firearm, shooting with intent and attempt at murder.

Residents of Mongoose Town yesterday morning denied there was a shoot-out and accused the cops of brutality. Lowe, they claimed, did not have a gun.

Lowe’s one-room board shack in Mongoose Town was ransacked, his belongings strewn over the floor.

Police said two firearms – a loaded M16 assault rifle and a loaded Tech 9 sub machine gun – were found in the yard during the operation.

Police Superintendent Oswald Ayre said that over the past three weeks Forbes has been terrorising residents of Delacree Pen, Tavares Gardens and Payne Avenue, committing several serious crimes.

The police, Ayre said, had three encounters with Forbes over the period but he always managed to shoot his way out. The last encounter, the police said, was on Monday night when he engaged a police foot patrol in a shoot-out along Payne Avenue.

Ayre said that at about 10:30 am yesterday, while the police were on routine mobile patrol in Mongoose Town, Forbes, who was recently released from prison after serving a sentence for gun crimes, was seen.

“He began shooting at the police, ran through a zinc fence into a tenement yard at 57 Waltham Park Road (Mongoose Town).

“A shoot-out ensued and during the gunfire exchange Lowe, who was involved in the shoot-out was shot in the head, while Forbes escaped.”

Ayre said the men dropped the guns in the yard while running.