Schools, businesses close amid tension in Spanish Town

By Kimone Witter/Nakinskie Robinson   

 

Tensions are high and law and order remains under threat in sections of Spanish Town, St. Catherine on Thursday afternoon following the fatal shooting of Othneil "Thickman" Lobban, the reputed leader of the One Order gang, during a police operation in St. Andrew on Wednesday night.

 

Lobban was shot by members of the Joint Anti-Gang Task Force along Washington Boulevard in the vicinity of the Six Miles bridge.

 

An illegal firearm reportedly belonging to Lobban was seized during the incident.

 

The area has been tense since Wednesday after residents of Tawes Meadows clashed with the police when they went to apprehend a man who subsequently escaped.

 

Following Lobban's killing on Wednesday night, his supporters reportedly took to the streets mounting roadblocks and causing damage to the Courts Bargain Centre which was set on fire.

 

Several businesses have directed employees to stay home in light of the unrest.

 

Senior Superintendent of Police Stephanie Lindsay, head of the Constabulary Communication Network, says the security forces have a strong presence on the ground and "things are pretty much under control" despite attempts by supporters of Lobban to disrupt Spanish Town.

 

A statement from the Jamaica Constabulary Force said Lobban was listed as one of the Top 5 most wanted individuals by the National Joint Anti-gang Task Force's Assault on Gang initiative.

 

He has been linked to extortion, murders and shootings.

 

But he remained elusive and allegedly directed various violent activities and organised crimes in St. Catherine, Kingston and several other parishes.

 

Residents are being urged to remain calm and to cooperate with the security forces as they work to maintain peace and stability in the area.

 

SSP Lindsay said the threat level to rank and file members remains "extreme" and they have been advised to remain cautious, especially in the Spanish Town area. But she said the police will not relent in trying to ensure law abiding citizens are safe and are able to carry out their business uninterrupted. 

 

 

The eruption of violence in Spanish Town resulted in several schools in the area suspending classes on Thursday.

 

Some of the schools sought the assistance of the police to escort students out of the area on Thursday morning.

 

Kevin Whittick, acting principal of Jonathan Grant High School, said 30 students turned up for the morning shift, but the decision was made to move to virtual learning because of the ongoing tensions. 

 

Meanwhile, business operators in the Spanish Town market district are again counting their losses as they remained shuttered due to the violence.

 

Dennis Robotham, President of the St. Catherine Chamber of Commerce, explained that while potential shoppers avoided the area, motorists faced challenges navigating several roadblocks to get into the area Thursday morning. 

 

"Right now, the business community is totally shuttered in the market district of the town. All businesses closed. Traffic, both vehicular, pedestrian and commuters have circumvented the area based on what is happening there. Apparently, since last night's incident, a lot of roadblocks seem to have been mounted in the particular space," he noted. 

 

Mr. Robotham said as quickly as the roads were cleared by the police, the blockades were remounted.

  

But he complained that a curfew should have been immediately imposed in Spanish Town following the fatal shooting on Wednesday night to prevent the blockades and overall disruption.

 

In the meantime, a strong word of caution has been issued to public passenger vehcile operations to avoid the old capital, Spanish Town, as the area remains volatile.

 

More than 4,000 taxi and bus operators operate in the space.

 

Egerton Newman, President of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services, said members had been reporting heightened instability since midday Wednesday. 

 

He said the operators are worried and have been advised to stay away from the township for their safety. 

 

He commended the police for trying to secure the area and restore order. 

 

 

But the police have come under fire for traffic management hours after the shooting of Othniel Lobban along Washington Boulevard in the vicinity of the Six Miles bridge on Wednesday night.

 

Traffic came to a crawl on several connected roads as investigators processed the crime scene up to 7:30 Thursday morning.

 

Assistant Commissioner of Police Gary McKenzie, head of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch, said it took some time for traffic to return to normality. 

 

"Because of the earlier delays, it took some time, and is in fact taking some time for traffic to come to normalcy, flowing back towards Spanish Town, Portmore, and other places that would normally have traffic proceeding through New Haven onto Washington Boulevard. The police have been in place, and they continue to be in place at strategic areas," he sought to explain.