Romantic security guard shot by cops
When 28-year-old armed security guard Mike Hall reported for duty at the Frome Sugar Estate on Valentine’s Day and saw that his assignment was cancelled, he got him a brilliant idea.
He was going to surprise his lady love and take her out for a romantic evening for an experience that he expected would continue through the weekend.
He thought that a perfect gift would be an earring and necklace set, and an outfit suited for the occasion. Later that afternoon he left home for downtown Savanna-la-Mar where he visited several stores until he found the desired items and made the purchases.
He then headed home. However, little did Hall know that his dream of that perfect Valentine’s Day were about to be shattered
According to Hall, he was walking along Great George Street when on reaching the vicinity of the parish library, a brown, unmarked car came alongside him and stopped. He also stopped.
“When I looked, a gun was pushed through the window of the front passenger seat towards my face and a male voice said, P***y, don’t move,” Hall told WESTERN STAR.
“I held up my hand and took one step backwards, and he repeated ‘P***y, yuh nuh hear don’t move.”
“I was shocked, scared for my life, and, believing that this was a gunman, I went for my firearm in my waist to defend my life. It was then I heard the first shot and realised I got the first shot,” Hall recalled.
“My firearm fell from my hand and I put my hand in the air and shouted I am a security officer, but the driver then opened his door, came out, and shot me again.”
“I was still shouting, ‘I am a security officer’,” he added. “... but the man on the passenger side joined the driver of the car and both of them were still shooting me, although I was bawling out I am a security guard.”
Hall said he fell against the wall of the library property and managed to pull his identification card from under his shirt to show the men, who by now, he suspected were police officers.
He said that one of the officers looked at his ID, and both kept asking him why he touched his gun.
But while he was being placed in the back of the vehicle, Hall said the driver of the unmarked car went to the sidewalk and took up his assigned firearm by the trigger guard.
“When the van was about to drive off I heard two shots fired,” Hall further claims. “I did not see if it was from my gun, but I know two shots were fired.”
Hall has since given a statement to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) but up to press time had not spoken to the police.
Superintendent Lansford Salmon, divisional commander for Westmoreland, told WESTERN STAR that a file has been prepared and sent to the director of public prosecution for a determination on the matter.
As for the romantic weekend, Hall said that he managed to give his girlfriend the necklace and earring set.