THE EDITOR, Madam:
ON SATURDAY, July 1, at 1:00 p.m., I was in my car close to the intersection of South Odeon Avenue and Constant Spring Road waiting for the traffic lights to give me the go ahead to continue on my way.
Suddenly, there appeared before me four young men, each brandishing a gun. They rushed toward the car which was immediately ahead of me in the queue of traffic, positioning themselves one at each window, with their guns pointed at the heads of persons in the car.
Were these gunmen? Was I about to witness for the first time in my life, a daring daylight robbery or some other felony being committed, such as I had read and heard of in recent times? What if gunfire should ensue?
There I was; trapped in my car, not able to drive forwards or backwards a sitting target for any bullet that might go astray, I thought. I felt absolutely terrified and confused. I counted myself as dead.
Then something incredible happened. There was no sound of gunfire. Instead, I saw four persons all men emerging from the car in question, with their arms upward stretched. The young men with the guns grabbed hold of three of the men, planting their guns now more firmly at the heads of their captives whom they eventually carried away. The driver of the car was allowed to drive on.
I want to assume that the men with the guns were police officers. I cannot say for certain. They were not in uniform and their manner of dress and demeanour did not distinguish them. What I can say for sure is that they took their captives away to a waiting vehicle bearing a yellow registration plate with the number 20-2817.
I have no police training and I would not be presumptuous enough to tell the Commissioner how police work should be done. On the other hand, permit me to wonder aloud: "Isn't there a better way?"
I am, etc.,
DERVAL GRAHAM
P.O. Box 433
Kingston 10
