KKCO - International News - Headlines

Jamaica: Gunfire, fire bombs in barricaded slum

Print
By: Associated Press Email
Posted: Mon 9:01 AM, May 24, 2010

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - The Jamaican government has declared a state of emergency as sporadic violence continues in gritty west Kingston, considered the stronghold of a reputed drug lord.

The state of public emergency is limited to the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew.

Throughout Sunday, masked men defending Christopher “Dudus” Coke, traded gunfire with security forces in a patchwork of barricaded slums in the capital, and torched a police station.

Also, a police station in Dehnam town came under heavy fire from gangsters roaming the streets with high-powered guns.

Authorities say two security officers have been wounded.

The violence erupted after nearly a week of rising tensions over the possible extradition of coke to the United States, where he's charged with drug and arms trafficking.

The U.S., Canada and Britain have issued travel alerts.
(COPYRIGHT 2010 BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)


You must be logged in to post comments.

Username:
Password (case sensitive):
Remember Me:
KKCO NBC 11 News 2531 Blichmann Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81505 Station Phone: 970.243.1111 Business Fax: 970.243.1770 Newsroom Fax: 970.245.3793 News Tip & Contest Line: 970.255.8477
Gray Television, Inc. - Copyright © 2002-2013 - Designed by Gray Digital Media - Powered by Clickability
User Agent: CCBot/2.0 - 94741639