FLANKER, St James — Some residents of this inner-city community are disputing the security forces’ version of how a man, who was killed metres from the polling station, died on election day.

Peter Johnson was shot after allegedly engaging members of the security forces in a shoot-out about 1:30 pm along Codac Drive in Flanker, St James. Flanker is in the Montego Bay North East Division, part of the constituency of St James North Western.

“Unfortunately we had an incident at this location where a man challenged the security personnel. And, based on what the joint teams were trained to do, the man was fatally shot and an illegal firearm recovered,” assistant commissioner of police in charge of Area One Clifford Chambers told journalists at the scene.

According to Chambers, the man had been on the police radar for some time.

“The person who was shot, I’ve since learnt, is a person of interest and has been the subject of several joint police/military operations for a period of time, and he has featured in several shootings and murders in this particular space here and the wider St James division,” said ACP Chambers.

However, expletives-hurling residents who gathered at the scene countered the police’s version of the shooting.

“The man hold up him two hand them; him did a surrender,” said one woman who did not give her name.

“A kill dem kill di youth and then a seh that he had a gun on him,” she continued. “A wicked dem wicked!”

Johnson’s mother, who also opted not to be named, questioned cops’ labelling of her son as a wanted man.

“Where wanted business come from? As him mother wouldn’t I know about it?” she asked incredulously.

“I am asking the police about it and nobody not saying anything about it,” she lamented.

She explained that she was downtown Montego Bay when she heard about the incident and rushed home only to get confirmation that one of her two children had died.

Her daughter was inconsolable. Comfort provided by friends and relatives was not enough to stop her tears.

Johnson’s mother said her son spent most of his time inside and had only ventured outside to vote.

“You think wanted man would come out to vote?” she asked.

She said the last time she saw her son alive, he had playfully removed her orange-coloured rubber bracelet, insisting that she needed to change her vote.

She said news of his death was the last thing she expected to hear.

Dr Horace Chang, the Member of Parliament for St James North Western, gave an assurance that the issue was being handled. Dr Chang is also the minister of national security.

“There was an incident with the security forces and a gentleman was killed. I make no conclusion from it. Indecom [Independent Commission of Investigations] and the investigating officers are here investigating the situation to determine how and what happened,” he said.

Dr Chang noted, however, that the community had been peaceful for some time before Monday’s incident.

“Flanker has been pretty quiet, especially this year. They have not had an incident for many years and, unfortunately, it happened today and at a particular space where we don’t know of anything like this happening — right in front of the polling station,” he said.

Indecom confirmed that it is looking into the incident, with director of complaints at its Western Division, Errol Chattoo, telling the media that they have received the security forces’ version and are now carrying out their investigations.

Dr Chang said the incident briefly impacted some voters’ ability to exercise their franchise.

“Voting was delayed for about an hour but the voters have been out here for some time and, in the law, once they are here and are in line to go in, they should be allowed to go inside,” he assured.