Murder suspect killed in gun battle with police in Mandeville

 

What began as a relatively quiet morning in Mandeville, Manchester, quickly spiralled into chaos after a four-hour standoff between a murder suspect and the police.

 

There were tense hours along Caledonia Road as a police traded bullets with the gunman who was holed up inside an apartment after his reported involvement in the fatal shooting of another man. 

 

According to investigators, the driver of a motor vehicle was a shot along Caledonia Road earlier, during which he lost control of the vehicle and collided with another. He sustained multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at hospital.

 

While providing details on the incident, Commanding Officer for the Area 3 Police Assistant Commissioner Calvin Allen explained that the gunman had a dispute with his victim.

 

"You would never believe it. Some eggs. The deceased and the suspect were involved in a quarrel over egg prices. Our antennas went up and it led to our operational response. This led us to Caledonia Road, where we experienced over four hours of standoff. We were very persistent in trying to get this individual to surrender. However, all those efforts failed. This joint effort between the JCF and our counterparts at the military led to them

entering the building and found the suspect injured," he disclosed.

 

ACP Allen said the lawmen recovered a "multiple calibre Omni Hybrid rifle, cabaple of firing all different sorts of ammunition" along with one Beretta pistol with an extended magazine. More than 450 assorted rounds of ammunition were seized.

 

Two service vehicles were damaged during the operation.

 

Meanwhile, an eyewitness, who likened the gun battle to scenes from a movie, recounted the surprising ordeal.

 

"Blazing gunshot fi at least three hour. It's not a good thing for the parish. It's not a good thing for Three Chains, Mandeville, nowhere at all. We nah celebrate.... Wi nuh waan train wi yute dem fi grow up a buss gunshot offa police."

 

Meanwhile, ACP Allen said the technology driven operation significantly aided the police in their efforts.

 

"Just like you continue to hear our commissioner speaking, and he's a man who believes in technology, we are ensuring that we practicalise. So our drone support was in full mode at that particular location and so that aerial picture and that high in the sky view, we had that on display today and naturally it assisted in whatever we did," he highlighted.