Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

Spanish Town, St. Catherine:

Just two days into 2007, a shooting yesterday afternoon ended in the first murder of a policeman for the new year.

The policeman and his sister were shot and killed along the Braeton main road, in Portmore, St. Catherine, yesterday evening by unknown assailants.

The dead policeman has been identified as Constable Ralston Ebanks, of the May Pen Police Station in Clarendon. His sister, Fernadissa Ebanks, arrived in the island to spend time with her family on Christmas Eve.

Reports are that, about 5:00 p.m., the policeman was driving his private motor vehicle along with his sister and two children (who up to last night had yet to be identified) when, on reaching the stop light leading to Epsom Eight West, another vehicle pulled up alongside him. Several shots were fired from the vehicle, hitting Constable Ebanks, his sister and one of the children. The vehicle crashed into a ditch and the policeman died on the spot. His sister later died at the Spanish Town Hospital. Last night, the injured child remained in hospital in critical condition from gunshot wounds.

When The Gleaner visited the scene, Constable Ebanks was still in the ditch, with his body against the steering wheel, and several persons looking on. Many wept uncontrollably. Some of Constable Ebanks' colleagues, who affectionately called him 'Nooksi', described him as a hard-working policeman.

Last year, 10 policemen were slain by gunmen.