LITTLE LONDON, Westmoreland – A man who the St Andrew Central Police said was wanted for murder and other crimes was fatally shot after allegedly engaging members of the Westmoreland Police in a shoot-out here Wednesday night.

Police named the dead man as Marvin Somers, alias ‘Jerry Max’ of a August Town, St Andrew address and said they recovered a 380 Beretta pistol loaded with eight rounds of 380 cartridges from him.

According to Corporal Thomozene Foster, the Constabulary Communication Network Liaison officer for Westmoreland, the police, acting upon information, went to an apartment complex at Long Bay, along Bay Road, Little London where Somers was said to be staying.

Upon the approach of the police party, Somers, who was outside the building, ran inside a room, locked himself in and refused to obey the police’s commands to open the door.

The cops said they kicked open the door but came under gunfire from Somers who, they said, was in a bathroom.

The police said they returned the fire and Somers was hit. During the alleged exchange, one member of the police party was injured.

The two injured men were taken to the Savanna-la-Mar Public Hospital where Somers was pronounced dead and the injured policeman treated and released.

Superintendent in charge of the Westmoreland Police Division, Dezeita Taylor, is appealing to Westmoreland residents to be vigilant and to report any suspicious-looking strangers in their communities.

“I want to appeal to the residents to look out for strangers in their communities and to be on the alert; report suspicious behaviours they might observe,” said Taylor.

“I also want to appeal to them (residents) to partner with us to ensure that 2007 will be a better year for Westmoreland in terms of police activity,” she added.