ST ANDREW, Jamaica— The police have refuted accusations made by residents in August Town, St Andrew into the events surrounding Wednesday’s shooting and injuring of a man in the community.

The residents on Thursday mounted road blocks in protest of the shooting. They claimed that the police who reportedly shot and injured the man were not wearing uniform and entered the community in an unmarked vehicle. The residents added that the lawmen did not identify themselves before opening gunfire at the now- injured man.

READ: August Town residents mount roadblock following shooting

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Marlon Nesbeth, commanding officer for St Andrew Central refuted the claims made by residents. He stated that the cops were on operation and came upon a group which aroused their suspicion.

“About 1:40pm a team of officers were on duty in the August Town when they came upon a group of persons in the African Gardens area. Men within this group aroused police suspicion resulting in the decision to check these men. As the police alighted from the service vehicle one man drew a firearm and pointed it at the police who took evasive action and fired at this man. He ran, continued to point the weapon at the police and was shot in the process. He then ran onto a premises and the police followed,” SSP Nesbeth stated.

“On entering the premises the police were able to retrieve the firearm. A glock pistol with magazine containing 10 rounds. In the process of assisting the injured man who was identified as Jermaine O’Meally to the hospital the converged crowd physically prevented the police and subsequently had to retreat due to the boisterous crowd,” the senior cop reported.

SSP Nesbeth stated that O’Meally was a suspect in a murder investigation in the St Andrew South Division last June, and was also suspected in other criminal incidents.

Nesbeth also sought to refute claims that the shooting was politically motivated.

“I must dispel this notion because the team of police that went there, from my certain knowledge are professional around their work and are not in away align to a political party and such type behaviours. So this certainly is not so. From the police perspective I must advise members of the public that we will endevour at all times to be true to our oath of office and to be professional at this time as the election period unfolds,” SSP Nesbeth stated.