Mark Titus, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The police High Command has launched a top-level probe to flush out the policemen involved in the staging of a gun salute at a wake in honour of their fallen colleague in Montego Bay, early Tuesday morning.

The Gleaner understands that the illegal discharge of the firearms occurred in the presence of a senior sub-officer, who had given instructions for the sound system being played at the wake to be turned off about 2:30 a.m.

50 policemen involved

Unconfirmed reports are that the salute at the Montego Freeport Police Station lasted over 45 minutes, and involved about 50 policemen. It is said that more than 100 spent shells, including M-16 rifle casings, were found at the scene.

However, the police have confirmed recovering only five 9mm spent shells. At least 13 firearms have been sent to the government forensic laboratory for ballistic testing and one constable has been interdicted for his alleged involvement. Additionally, the M-16 rifles, which were in the possession of police personnel on duty at the time of the incident, will be included in the forensic examinations.

"Somewhere in the wee hours of this (yesterday) morning, I was alerted to the fact that shots were being fired in the vicinity of the compound," said an obviously disturbed Superintendent Steve McGregor, head of the St. James Police Division.

"At least one person, who is a police officer, was reportedly seen and is being dealt with and the disciplinary process has been expedited and forwarded to Area (One Police Headquarters)."

Reports are that some lawmen took objection to the order to end the wake for Constable Cornel Lewis, and decided to show their defiance by turning on their car stereos and staging the gun salute.

Constable Lewis, who was attached to the Tactical Response Unit, was gunned down on November 11 by gunmen in the Mango Walk community in Montego Bay. He will be buried today in St. Catherine.

Corporal Raymond Wilson, chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation, said his organisation has not received a formal report and has deployed "someone on the ground trying to gather the facts for us so that we can have the information properly before we make any comment".

In late September, a police constable was immediately taken into custody by the Spanish Town police for questioning and his firearm seized after he discharged his firearm at the graveside of a murdered colleague in the presence of former Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas and Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller.