Director of Communications for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Karl Angell, said police will be carrying out thorough investigations into yesterday's murder of a policeman in Clarendon.

Constable Steve Brown, 36, who was not on official duty, was killed about 11 a.m. in Hunts Pen near Denbigh. He worked at Mobile Reserve . Another man was shot and injured in the incident.

Reports said, Constable Brown, a three-year member of the force, was attacked by men travelling in another car when he stopped on the roadway.

The gunmen fired several shots hitting Brown and his passenger. Brown died on the spot, while the other man was hospitalised.

travelling to Kingston

Clarendon's top cop Superintendent Deighton Henry, said that the incident occurred while the men were travelling to Kingston. The man in the vehicle with the policeman is said to have appeared in the Clarendon Gun Court earlier, for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition. Head of the Mobile Reserve, Assistant Commissioner Clifford Blake, said that Brown had completed his duty hours earlier before he was killed.

Angell told THE STAR that while many rumours were swirling about the policeman travelling with the accused man, the JCF would not get involved in the rumours. He said, however, "We will be investigating everything, as to why he got shot and the background of the person that was in the vehicle with him. We will be investigating the murder and the cause of the murder." He added, "It will take us about 48 hours to sift through everything before we can even have a preliminary idea of what happened."

The Major Investigation Task Force has started an investigation in the matter.

Ten police officers have been killed by gunmen since the start of the year.