Detectives attached to the St. James Police Division have a man subdued, who was allegedly involved in a robbery in downtown, Montego Bay, yesterday morning. The police caught up with the man after a chase through the town. The man's crony managed to escape. - Photo by Noel Thompson

Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Scores of persons witnessed a team of policemen fire shots, give chase and capture an alleged thief in downtown Montego Bay yesterday morning.

The city was buzzing with the usual shopping and vehicular traffic about 9:45 a.m. when gunshots halted the activities, as the two alleged robbers who had just pulled off a heist, tried to escape.

Most of the curious onlookers ran behind the police, as they went in hot pursuit of the men.

Warning shots

Armed with their M16 rifles and 9mm pistols, the lawmen ran along Union, Orange and St. James streets and onto Corner Lane - firing warning shots in the air in a bid to stop the robbers in their tracks.

"Mi see di bwoy dem grab a bag a money from a 'Chiney' woman and run up Orange Street. Two policemen were driving along the road same time and see dem a run," an eyewitness told The Gleaner.

"Dem buck up in a di police and try make a u-turn, but when dem turn back, dem buck up inna di ants nest."

As the alleged robbers tried to beat a hasty retreat, Detective Sergeant Byron 'Toyan' Miller sprinted through the town like a seasoned athlete, accompanied by other cops.

Sent sprawling

On reaching the intersection of Orange Street and Corner Lane, Sgt. Miller caught upwith one of the men and sent him sprawling in the middle of the road.

By this time a large gathering of onlookers had converged at the scene to see who it was.

Unconfirmed reports are that the men had robbed the money from a woman inside a bank, but while being frisked by the police, the man apparently told them that he had gone into the bank to collect money sent to him in a lottery scam.

His crony, who the police believe is of a Granville address in St. James, escaped.

Up to press time, it could not be ascertained whether the woman had recovered the money or if the captured man's accomplice had fled with the loot.