ST ANN, Jamaica — A man wreaked havoc in the town of Ocho Rios shortly after nightfall Saturday, using a relatively long silver-bladed machete to chop a supermarket security guard twice then roaming the streets with the weapon in his grasp, and a fierce scowl on his face.

During the brazen attack, the police, unusually, were nowhere to be found in the town.

However, the streets were packed with people doing their usual weekend shopping. Many onlookers scampered for cover; however it appeared the security guard at Sophia’s Supermarket along upper Main Street was the machete-wielding man’s sole target.

The security guard, reportedly chopped in the face and on one of his hands, ran frantically to save his life. The attacker went in pursuit of him in the crowded street but eventually stopped amid an uproar by some residents.

Not using any of the alleys in the area to escape, the offender walked down Main Street with his machete openly displayed.

He returned to the supermarket about 10 minutes later, seemingly searching for his victim again. By that time, the wounded security guard had been taken to seek medical treatment.

“Not even one police nuh deh in di big town when yuh need them,” a bystander complained, furious about the attacker’s brazenness.

The man who carried out the attack eventually left Ocho Rios town centre at 6:50 pm in a taxi. He reportedly boarded the vehicle along with other passengers in the area where Parry Town and Pimento Walk taxis are usually parked at night. He is said to be middle-aged, of dark complexion and stout build and he was wearing a white shirt at the time of the incident.

About 15 minutes after the offender left the town, the police appeared at the crime scene, lights flashing. They spent a relatively short time there before they left. Another group of lawmen visited the supermarket about 10:00 pm to conduct further investigations. It is not yet clear to OBSERVER ONLINE what caused the incident.

There have been a number of violent attacks involving the use of knives and machetes in Ocho Rios in recent months. A few weeks ago, another man was rushed to hospital after he was stabbed during a fight at a makeshift business place, located across the road from the supermarket where the incident took place Saturday evening. And three months ago a handcart vendor, Darnell Baxter, died after he was stabbed in the neck with a knife on Newlin Street in the town.

Horace Mills