The Police patrol vehicle that was pursuing the gunmen.

The abandoned car with false hire car licence plate being taken away by Police at Middleton and Garnett Streets, Campbellville.

The Rasta wig, false licence plate, the 9mm pistol and the live and spent ammunition found in the Starlet vehicle, whose driver the Police have detained.

Doing everything possible: Commissioner of Police Mr. Floyd McDonald, left and Assistant Police Commissioner Mr. Winston Felix at yesterday's news conference.
A MOTHER and her son miraculously survived a hail of gunfire from gunmen in a car who were fleeing from Police after shooting a constable in a midday chase around Georgetown yesterday.

According to well-placed sources, the brother-in-law of the woman is in Police custody, but Police Commissioner, Mr. Floyd McDonald declined to name him when he reported on the incident yesterday, as the man has not been charged. .

Police Constable Pareshram Khali sustained two gunshot wounds to his left leg and was reported in stable condition in hospital.

Stephanie Morgan and her young son were alive and well after the terrifying incident, but severely traumatised.

She was discharged from the St. Joseph's Hospital where she was taken after the gunmen opened fire on her vehicle. Nurses there reported that she was in a frantic state throughout the entire examination process.

The Toyota Starlet that took her to the hospital was searched by the Police and a 9mm semi automatic pistol with seven live rounds of ammunition, a Rasta wig and a bullet proof vest were found in it, Police said. Morgan's brother-in-law was reportedly the driver of the Starlet vehicle.

Reports are that Police on patrol in a vehicle around the city spotted HA 8561, a white Carina car and recognised one of the men inside as Quame Penbleton, who is wanted by the Police.

As the Policemen made eye contact with him, the men in the car opened fire and the Police fired back. This took place at Barr Street and Vlissengen Road.

Shooting continued as the Police gave chase, pursuing the car to Middleton Street and Durey Lane, Campbellville.

There, Police Commissioner McDonald said the bandits discharged several rounds at a pedal cyclist who was in the path of the car "causing him to fall off his cycle".

Eyewitnesses said the men left the car and then a hail of gunfire rang out for about two minutes.

"All I see was a man with a big gun in the middle ah de road and I run inside", a nearby resident told the Chronicle.

It was during this battle that Constable Khali was wounded.

The gunmen abandoned car HA 8561. According to the Police Commissioner, this vehicle was reportedly stolen during a robbery committed on June 26 at around 19:00 hrs at Fifth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown.

Two false licence plates were found in the car. A black pouch and other articles were discovered in the back seat of the vehicle, Police said.

McDonald told a news conference at Police headquarters that "due to the presence of schoolchildren and other passers-by" the Police were prevented from returning fire.

The gunmen then hijacked a passing hire car at Middleton and Garnett Street and made good their escape. The driver of the car received a gunshot wound to his right side, McDonald said.

The gunmen next pounced on Morgan, who was waiting for the traffic lights at Mandela Avenue and Homestretch Avenue to indicate `go'.

According to eyewitnesses, the car with the four men swerved in front of Stephanie Morgan's Prado land cruiser and opened fire.

Three of the men were at the doors of the car shooting, while the other, looking like a Rasta, got out of the vehicle and headed straight to Morgan's Prado.

One witness said the men were wearing bulletproof vests marked `Police'.

The Rasta man tried to open the left side door of her vehicle but it was locked with the window up.

The eyewitness said the Rasta then used his gun to shatter the window but as he attempted to jump into the vehicle, the woman slipped into high gear, reversed with force, slamming into an `Uprising' taxi behind her.

That taxi slammed into another hire car behind it, the witness said.

Morgan then made her way from between the taxi and the gunmen and sped off.

When her vehicle swerved, the gunman, who was attempting to jump into the Prado, was hurled to the ground, the witness said.

Morgan raced off into Homestretch Avenue and the gunman jumped into the car he had emerged from and they sped away.

McDonald could not say what happened to the Policemen who were in "hot pursuit" of the men up to after they sped of from the Campbellville area.

He said the first shooting incident took place at around 11:40 hrs and the hijack of the car in Campbellville, five or ten minutes later.

Indicating that he was not absolutely sure, he said the incident at Mandela and Homestretch Avenue took place at around 12:00-12:30 hrs.

"I am not able to tell you exactly where they (the Police) were, but I know they were in pursuit of the men", he told reporters.

He said that another vehicle might have been involved in the incident but indicated that there is not enough evidence to support this.

McDonald reported that the Police have since erected several cordons around the city and have intensified their manhunt for the bandits.

"They can be anywhere, so we are searching (everywhere)," he said.

The Police Chief said he suspects that the weaponry used by the gunmen were automatic, semi automatic and those of "high calibre".

Given that many taxis were involved in the recent surge in criminal activities, McDonald said that an encounter between the Police and taxi owners is planned.

"Even though some of those taxi owners have question marks behind them", he quickly added.

The Commissioner again appealed for public cooperation and support in fighting crime, adding that the recent spate of criminal activities is "troubling".