The second witness in the murder trial of six policemen took the stand on Thursday, detailing what he recalled about his visit to the scene of the January 2013 incident.

On trial for murder are Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, and constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch. Corporal Fullerton is also charged with making a false statement to the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) in relation to the January 12, 2013 shooting death of three men on Arcadia Drive in St Andrew.

The deceased are Matthew Lee, Mark Allen, and Ucliffe Dyer.

According to the witness, who was a detective constable on the day in question, he was at Constant Spring Police Station where he was doing office duty and supervision.

He said while at the police station he heard something being transmitted over a police radio which caused him to leave the police station in a marked service vehicle and drive to Arcadia Drive in Barbican, St Andrew.

“When I arrived I saw Sergeant Mott and Corporal Fullerton. I can’t recall who else was there. There were other personnel who I wasn’t able to identify, as well as personnel from the Independent Commission of Investigations.

“The area was cordoned off and I saw a blue Mitsubishi Outlander which was parked along Arcadia Drive near the intersection with Evans Avenue. I observed that three of the doors to the vehicle were opened — the left rear passenger door, left passenger door, and the driver’s door to the right. I also observed five 5mm spent casings and 9mm spent casings on the roadway near the Outlander and in a yard close by,” he said.

The policeman told the seven-member jury that he walked to a section of the yard and made certain observations. He said he also made observations of the vehicle at the scene.

The detective said he had a conversation with Sergeant Mott, who he admitted to knowing, having worked with him at Constant Spring Police Station.

He said that a deputy superintendent of police, who had overall responsibility for the Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB), also attended the scene travelling in a beige-looking Toyota Corolla motor car.

The witness said that at the scene he had a conversation with Sergeant Mott in the presence of Corporal Fullerton.

“He made a report to me that they were in a shoot-out with four men travelling in the blue Mitsubishi Outlander where three men were injured and one man ran down Evans Avenue. He said that the three men were taken to the hospital and he and Fullerton gave chase to the man on Evans Avenue, but the man had eluded them by jumping over a wall. Mr Fullerton reiterated the same thing.

“A few things happened. I was handed two firearms by Sergeant Mott; one was a Mac 10 light semi-automatic gun and a magazine loaded with four 9mm live rounds; one was an Arcus 9mm pistol and a magazine with six 9mm live rounds. He said he recovered them after the shooting subsided. He said the firearms fell, the men ran, and he retrieved it. I also walked down Evans Avenue afterwards, where I engaged in the search for the man that ran.”

The witness said he was given the keys for a service vehicle that was driven to the scene by a deputy superintendent of police in charge of CIB.

“I requested the keys for his vehicle, showed him the firearms, then placed the firearms in the trunk,” he said, sharing that he did not place the firearms in the vehicle he drove to the scene because it was parked some distance away.

He said he also spoke to a forensic investigator from Indecom.

“I showed him the two firearms inside the vehicle. I also showed him spent casings I observed on the roadway and also in the yard. As a result of what he told me, I commenced investigation into a case of shooting,” he said.

He also said that he observed a detective constable take photographs of the general scene.

“As first responding detective I made specific observations of the interior of the vehicle and the back and front. I saw what appeared to be blood. They retrieved blood samples from the main road. After they finished processing the scene, the detective constable showed me 23 5.56mm spent casings and I think nine 9mm spent casings. They were packaged in an envelope. I did not observe anything else in the vehicle,” he said.

The team of defence attorneys in the matter are Hugh Wildman, Anthony Armstrong, Linda Wright-Ashley, John Jacobs, and Althea Grant-Coppin.

The matter continues today.