By Rasbert Turner, STAR Writer

Spanish Town

A policeman was injured while an alleged gunman was killed during a shoot out along St. John's Road, St. Catherine, yesterday. An illegal gun was also seized by the lawmen after the incident.

Dead is 17-year-old Kemar McLaughlin, of 76 St. John's Road, in Spanish Town. The police constable whose name has been withheld was hospitalised.

Detective Sergeant Paul Thomas, of the Spanish Town Police Station, said that the lawmen, acting on information, went to St. John's Road, about 11:30 a.m., where they were fired on by several men.

The police returned the fire, the men ran and the 17-year-old was found with gunshot injuries. He was said to have been clutching a Bryco 9mm pistol along with a magazine containing four live rounds. He later died in hospital.

However, residents gave a different version of what happened. They claim that there was no shoot-out and the cops had just fired on McLaughlin.

"A shoot them shoot him and waan tell lie pon him. A caan believe the police them really shot and kill mi pickney, cause him never do nothin," said the youngster's mother, Audrey Barrett.

However, the police claimed that McLaughlin was wanted for several crimes including murder and shooting. The Bureau of Special Investigation will be conducting a probe into the matter.