ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – An alleged car thief was killed during a gun battle and high-speed chase between Malvern and Southampton in St Elizabeth, moments after he and his cronies stole a Toyota Voxy in the Portsea district on Saturday morning.

Police and relatives named the suspect as Mark Allen, a resident of Schoolfield near Malvern.

Head of the St Elizabeth police, Superintendent Coleridge Minto, in a video release, said the situation started about 3:20am when the police were informed of the motor vehicle theft and a shooting with intent in upper Portsea.

“The police responded, and the said Toyota Voxy, as well as a Toyota Axio motor car were seen travelling in the Malvern area. Police pursued, and during the pursuit armed men fired at the police. The Voxy crashed in the Southampton area [and] several men alighted and fired at the police,” Minto said.

“Police took evasive action and returned the fire. One man was shot and injured. He was taken to the Black River Hospital, where he was pronounced dead,” Minto added. He said Allen’s cronies managed to escape from both vehicles.

“The Toyota Axio motorcar also crashed along the Southampton main road. The men escaped from this vehicle. It must be noted that this is the third vehicle that has been reported stolen in the Malvern space over the last several weeks,” Minto shared.

He pointed to the recovery rate by the police for stolen vehicles, highlighting that “All three vehicles have been recovered. I want to assure the citizens of Malvern and surrounding communities and, by extension, the parish that the police will continue our efforts to ensure that those who are committing criminal activities are brought to justice,” he said.

Meanwhile, a manhunt has since been launched in search of the escaped suspects.

“The police are still in the area searching for the additional men who ran from the Voxy and the Toyota Axio. We appeal to anyone in the community, if they see any strange person moving about, to alert the police at 119 or the nearest police station,” said Minto.

– Kasey Williams