Not true!

Manchester top cop denies attack on police station

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Head of the Manchester Police Division Superintendent David White has dismissed claims that there was an attack on the Spalding Police Station on Wednesday.

“There was no shooting-up of the station. No truth to that,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

Early Wednesday evening, there were reports that the police station, which borders the parishes of Manchester and Clarendon, was attacked by gunmen.

In speaking to the Observer Thursday, Superintendent White said that a group of heavily armed men robbed a variety store in Spalding Square and, in trying to disperse the crowd while making their escape, they wildly fired shots.

He said on passing the Spalding Police Station, the men were still firing shots and a cop who was at the gate to the premises was shot in the process.

The superintendent of police said the cop was shot in the abdomen and is still hospitalised, but is in stable condition.

He said, too, that while no one is in custody in connection with the shooting, lawmen have strong leads about the identity of the perpetrators.

Residents in the area are reportedly still in shock because it is not the kind of incident that would usually take place in the area.

The police in Manchester said, however, that during an islandwide police analysis, Spalding was identified as one of the major townships to have increased police presence.

Superintendent White said that has been the case over the last couple weeks and that it will continue.