Deadly confrontation

• Alleged gunman killed; cop injured 

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

A teenager is dead and a police constable hospitalized in serious condition following confrontations between gunmen and the police in Montego Bay, St. James.

The incidents took place on Sunday and Monday of this week.

The latest confrontation occurred on Monday afternoon when 19year-old Akeem Fray of Hugga Lane, Norwood, was shot dead by the police.

Information gleaned by the Western Mirror is that about 3:20p.m., members of the security forces were on patrol at Hugga Lane when they saw a group of men acting in a suspicious manner.

On seeing the police approaching, the men ran, and the police gave chase. Fray, who was among them, was seen allegedly removing a firearm from his waistband. He and another man who was also armed with a gun reportedly opened fire at the police.

The gunfire was returned. When shooting subsided, Fray was seen suffering from gunshot wounds and was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A Smith and Wesson 9 MM pistol with seven 9 millimetre rounds were also seized by the lawmen.

The killing has prompted a probe by the Independent Commission of Investigations, INDECOM.

COP INJURED

Monday’s incident came on the heels of a shooting on Sunday involving a police constable and armed men following a minor motor vehicle accident along the Porto Bello main road.

Reports are that at 2:45 a.m., the police constable and a female companion were travelling in his grey Toyota motorcar along the Porto Bello main road when a green Toyota Corolla Station Wagon attempted to overtake his car, damaging the right rear fender of his vehicle.

 The constable, realizing that his vehicle was damaged, reportedly drove down the vehicle and used his car to block the roadway; however, the driver of the green Toyota Corolla managed to elude him and drove away.

The constable reportedly drove to the intersection of Porto Bello and Sign Irwin where he stopped and was further examining the damage to the vehicle when he saw the same Green Toyota Corolla driving towards him.

 He allegedly approached the vehicle and shouted ‘police’, when a man who was later identified as Travis Malcolm, alias ‘Tippa’, who was a passenger in the vehicle, opened fire, hitting him in the chest.

The constable drew his firearm and discharged a round, but the car sped off.

The constable was later taken to hospital where he has been admitted in serious condition.