A police corporal was yesterday battling for life in hospital following a daring attack by gunmen in the Clock Tower Plaza in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew on Wednesday night.

The policeman, Detective Corporal Cecil Langley of the Scene of the Crime Unit, was shot in the left thigh and lower back after armed men attacked him as he stood in a store at the popular shopping plaza.

According to the police, shortly after 8:00 Wednesday night, Langley was standing in the business establishment when three armed men approached him and immediately opened fire, hitting him twice.

The policeman was taken to the hospital where he was admitted in serious condition.

Yesterday, Senior Superintendent George Quallo of the Half-Way Tree Police Station, told the Observer that up until late yesterday afternoon Langley was still unable to speak with anyone.

“He is admitted in very serious condition, up until an hour ago we got reports that he was still bleeding. Right now we are just hoping and praying that he will pull through,” Quallo said.

Quallo said information on the shooting was sketchy but the police had leads which they were following.

“The police have been talking to some persons from communities in close proximity to where the incident happened,” Quallo said. “We have the description of one of the subjects, but we wish to keep it right now because we don’t want to interfere with the investigations,” he added.

Quallo, in the meantime, expressed concern about the high level of crime affecting the country.

“All of us are aware of the challenges; it can happen to anyone in this organisation, it is just one of those things,” Quallo said. “The problem is that too much guns are in the country.”

Langley, who has been a part of the Scene of the Crime Unit for approximately two years, is the fourth policeman to be attacked by criminals in the past four weeks.

A detective constable attached to the Denham Town Police Station was shot and injured earlier this week and the other two – Corporal Garreth Smith, 48, of the Special Constabulary Force, and Sergeant Everton Brown, 30, of the protective services – were both shot dead by gunmen.