The police on Thursday vowed that gangsters would never again take control of Spanish Town, St Catherine after responding quickly to fiery protests by residents of Tawes Meadows and other communities angered that cops had shot dead One Order Gang leader Othniel “Thickman” Lobban.

“News of his demise created a reaction in the Tawes Meadows community. This reaction is really an indication of the kind of psychological control and impact that gangs continue have on these communities and so persons are upset and are expressing themselves based on their relationship with Lobban, who was a leader in this area,” Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Christopher Phillips said.

“Wednesday night we had a few incidents where roads were blocked and there were attempts to burn a few premises, but we were quick on location to put some control on that,” Phillips pointed out.

Lobban was shot dead in the Six Miles area of the St Andrew South Police Division during what the police said was a gunfight with members of the anti-gang task force on Wednesday about 10:00 pm.

News of his killing sparked uproar among residents in sections of Spanish Town, who immediately began to block roads with tyres and other debris and setting them ablaze.

The Courts Bargain Centre was torched and there were reports of loud and continuous explosions as gunmen challenged the security forces.

Over the years, Spanish Town has been the scene of deadly protests whenever gang leaders are killed or taken into custody by the police. Among the more memorable cases are those of Donovan “Bulbie” Bennett and Andrew “Bun Man” Hope.

On Thursday, Phillips said the security forces will do all in their power to keep things under control in Spanish Town and will not tolerate the kind of behaviour displayed by Lobban’s supporters Wednesday night.

“We now have a strong presence in the area. Roadways were cleared and we continue to maintain a presence in Spanish Town as best as possible, watching carefully all the communities that are connected to the deceased,” Phillips said.

“I want to reassure all our commuters and residents within this space that we have things under control and that we are not going to allow the kind of disorder that we have seen in Spanish Town over the years. We are very much intolerant of this kind of behaviour. Already we have four persons in custody who were a part of the blocking of roads Wednesday night. We are going to be sending a strong message,” Phillips said, as he described St Catherine as the epicentre of criminality in Jamaica and that it is going to require serious and strong action on the ground to ensure control is not lost.

He commended his colleagues for exercising restraint on Wednesday night, despite residents accusing them of abuse, damaging police vehicles, and displaying violent and destructive behaviour.

“You saw what happened in terms of the citizens damaging four vehicles and the kind of disorder and disrespect coming from them when the police attempted to move in. I have not had any report of unprofessional conduct from any of my members. I believe they exercised great restraint Wednesday, and until these people start to behave themselves, we are going to be in these communities and the efforts will be relentless, lest we turn this place into Haiti; it cannot work,” Phillips said, his voice firm.

He told journalists that Lobban’s power and influence as a gangster spanned far and wide.

“If St Catherine is now seen as the epicentre for criminality, just imagine that network he created over a period of time. He met his demise outside of this division and he is known to be connected to several other communities in and outside of St Catherine. He was one of the main targets for the joint anti-gang task force, based on his involvement in various acts of criminality,” the senior cop said.

The upheaval in Spanish Town affected operations at numerous private business establishments, including restaurants, some government entities, and schools that shuttered their doors.

The protest also impacted service offered by Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited in Spanish Town and all matters at the St Catherine Parish Court were suspended. Taxi operators in the Spanish Transport Centre complained that they were getting very few passengers, as many people opted to stay off the streets.

In Lobban’s community of Tawes Meadows, residents seemed to care very little about what was happening in the wider Spanish Town. All they were concerned with was the fact that their leader, whom they painted as a saint, had been taken away from them, and said that they didn’t believe that he challenged the police.

One woman claimed that when he was alive he wasn’t allowed to live in peace, alleging that he was frequently harassed by the security forces for reasons unknown.

“His name did not come out as any person of interest or any wanted man. Every time police come here they choose to visit his house. They come here and they leave with one one foot a di man shoes dem. Dem go as far as tek up one dog and lock up the dog inna the man oven, mash up his games, his television, and ransack his house. To how dem terrorise him, if he even wants to spend a night in his house, he can’t. You have some special police weh as dem reach near the community, dem seh, ‘Come, we go look for him,’” she claimed.

“All we know is that Thickman has died. He was a nice, jovial, fun-loving person to be around. He was not a man who disrespected people. He ran jokes with down to even the babies. Everybody in the community loves him. December gone he kept a treat for the elderly. He brought out all the senior citizens, fed them, and distributed packages. He was loved by everybody. People on the outside of the community would not really know these things, but everywhere he goes he interacts with everybody, down to the animals. We have lost a good and a loved member from our community,” the woman said.

“The news of his death was very shocking. I was in disbelief. I did not believe until I saw a photo of him. I never expected this. When storm come, him look food, pack and distribute. Back-to-school time him keep the biggest treat. Every child who has nothing to go to school has to get something. If you go to him and say you don’t have any lunch money, him a give your pickney lunch money. If you go to him and say you want dinner money, he makes sure you have it. If you want to go to the doctor, he will make you go to the doctor. Children cannot be on the road after certain hours. He was a community person. If you have a problem and go to him, he would sit down and listen and solve it as best as he could. To tell you the truth, all of us are sad,” she added.