Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer
Traffic is diverted as angry residents block the Spanish Town bypass in the vicinity of the Salt Factory in St. Catherine yesterday. The residents were protesting the shooting death by the police of a 16-year-old boy from Corletts Road, St. Catherine, on Tuesday night. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:
THE POLICE resorted to tear gas and the firing of shots yesterday in their bid to calm angry residents of Corletts Road, St. Catherine, who were demonstrating for the second consecutive day along the busy Spanish Town bypass.
They were protesting the shooting death by the police of 16-year-old Tareq Jones on Tuesday night. Jones was killed under questionable circumstances.
From about 10:00 a.m. yesterday, residents used their bodies to block the Spanish Town bypass in the vicinity of the March Pen Road intersection. Things took a turn for the worse when a police party arrived on scene and, after pleading with the residents to clear the road, fired tear gas at the demonstrators.
WANT MEETING WITH COMMISSIONER
The residents were adamant that they would continue to demonstrate until Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas or his Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields meets with them. They say they will return to the streets until the policeman in question is brought to book.
After yesterday's stand-off, several shots were fired by the police, who said they came under gunfire.
As a result of the blocking of the Spanish Town bypass, several roads in the Old Capital were crammed with vehicular traffic. Many commuters were seen walking to work.
