SECTIONS of Spanish Town yesterday descended into chaos as angry residents protested the early afternoon shooting death of reputed gang leader Andrew ‘Bun Man’ Hope.

However, the police last night moved swiftly and imposed a curfew on the town to avoid a repeat of last year’s mayhem when gangsters overran the troubled town to protest against the killing of Clansman gang leader Donovan ‘Bulbie’ Bennett.

The curfew, to be lifted at 8:00 this morning, was imposed on sections of St John’s Road, Salt Pond Road, Oxford Road, Wellington Street, Cumberland Road, Williams Street and the Spanish Town Bypass.

Hope, leader of the notorious One Order gang, whose members are loyal to the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party, was shot dead on Ellis Street, in the vicinity of the Spanish Town High School. He died, slumped over the steering wheel of his silver Honda Civic motor car.

The gang leader, the police said, was shot in the mid-afternoon by unknown assailants dressed in khaki clothes. Residents claimed, however, that a member of the police force was responsible for Hope’s death and proceeded to block roads in several sections of the town in protest.

Several armed men, believed to be members of Hope’s gang, which operates mainly in Tawes Pen and Ellerslie Pen, and are scattered over other sections of the St Catherine capital, ran wildly through the town, firing shots, forcing several businesses to pull their shutters early and pedestrians to take cover.

The gangsters also set fire to the town’s old courthouse, which was used for sittings of the night court, as well as several cars parked in front of the building. Two men carrying a sofa were among several persons seen running out of the burning building with whatever undamaged property that they could carry.

Irate at the death of their ‘leader’, residents shouted support for the torching of the courthouse. They also prevented firemen from putting out the blaze. The firemen were allowed to carry out their duties only after several officers arrived on the scene.

“Dem cyaan done di order [One Order], no water right here, no water right here. Mek it bun down ’cause dem kill di boss. No more peace, we a go lock down di city,” one woman shouted.

“The Philistines dem vex now. No more peace can gwan inna Spanish Town…How dem fi kill di man weh defend nutten but peace?” said another.

There was also a report that a policeman was shot and injured during the mayhem.

Residents also confronted the police when they attempted to put the car with Hope’s body on a wrecker. Some hurled stones at the cops.

After a lengthy argument, the residents agreed to go beyond the yellow crime scene tape, allowing cops to remove Hope’s body from the scene.

In the midst of the chaos, the Police High Command responded by deploying numerous members of the security forces throughout the town. They immediately began clearing roadblocks and taking strategic positions within the town.

In a statement last night, the police urged people with information on Hope’s killing to come forward.

Yesterday’s incident was not the first instance in which Hope has been the cause of demonstrations in the old capital.

On New Year’s Day 2003, residents of Ellerslie Pen and Tawes Pen blocked sections of Wellington Street and Old Harbour Road after Hope was arrested for allegedly shooting at members of the Special Anti-Crime Task Force.

On August 15, 2005, there was another demonstration after Hope, believed to be in his late 20s, was detained by members of the security forces.

The One Order is one of two gangs operating in Spanish Town. The other, the Clansman, is loyal to the ruling People’s National Party. Both have fought bloody street battles for control of a lucrative extortion racket in the town.

– davisv@jamaicaobserver.com