Adrian Frater and Trudy Simpso, Staff ReportersTEMPERS FLARED yesterday during a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) meeting in St. Elizabeth to discuss the recent resignation of Senator Norman Horne, a former caretaker candidate in that parish.
Reports are that Dr. Horace Chang, the party's deputy leader with special responsibility for Western Jamaica, drew his gun to ward off menacing, apparent supporters of Senator Horne.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m. yesterday, Shernet Simpson, who is said to be a supporter of Senator Horne, who recently resigned from the JLP, lodged a formal complaint to the Pedro Plain police, claiming that Dr. Chang assaulted him at a party meeting at Jack Sprat Resort, also in St. Elizabeth, and pointed a firearm in his face.
"He (Mr. Simpson) was here a short while ago and he gave us a statement in which he accused Dr. Chang and a Mr. Dennis Meadows of pointing guns in his face," said the duty officer at the Pedro Plains Police Station. "We have not yet managed to make contact with either Dr. Chang or Mr. Meadows but the complaint will definitely be investigated."
Speaking to The Gleaner last night Dr. Chang, who is a Member of Parliament for St. James North West, said he was forced to display his gun after being surrounded by a group of people, who he said, threatened and verbally abused him.
The incident, he said, happened after a meeting with the
constituency's executive to explain what was expected of its members seeing that Senator Horne had resigned.
Dr. Chang said the meeting became noisy, based on the participation of a number of people who were not supposed to be there and who apparently had been sent to disrupt the meeting.
He said the meeting was concluded prematurely because it became too noisy and when he reached his car, he was greeted by several boisterous men who became abusive and threatening.
"I pulled the firearm to ensure that nothing happened (to me). But it was not discharged," Dr. Chang explained.
