An attempt by the police to apprehend one of the two Ocho Rios prison escapees, ended in death on Monday morning.
Dead is 21-year-old Nicholas Massop, fisherman, who was fatally shot by the police after he reportedly engaged them in a shoot out with them near his home.
Reports to the Times are that police conducted a massive operation in a section of Pineapple community, dominated by an informal settlement. It was said that police were operating on intelligence that Massop, who is from the area had been seen over the weekend.
Police reports were that at about 11 a.m., during the operation in Pineapple, police attempted to accost Massop. He reportedly opened fire on the police. The gunfire was returned and he was fatally shot.
He was pronounced dead at hospital.
One nine millimeter pistol and six live rounds were also taken from his possession.
No member of the police team sustained any injury during the shoot-out.
IN CUSTODY ON MURDER
Massop, who was also from Pineapple, Ocho Rios, was in custody for murder, shooting with intent, illegal possession of firearm.
He was charged for the murder of 44-year-old Leslie Burgher, who was shot and killed while he slept in a car in Pineapple, Ocho Rios on February 22.
Massop was picked up by the police on Thursday, June 29 sometime after 9 p.m. in a section of the Pineapple area. He had been named as a person of interest then.
Reports from the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) are that at about 3 o’clock on that Wednesday morning, residents heard explosions and called the police.
The body of Burgher was then found, with several gunshot wounds in his gray Toyota Corolla motorcar. The police information arm, the CCU also stated that Burgher was originally from David Lane in Portland.
Reports to The Times at the time of his death had indicated that he (Burgher) recently started operating a taxi and that he continued to do odd jobs including gardening, running errands and construction work. There are reports that he was building a house on a section of nearby capture land but often slept in his car at a yard on Main Street in Pineapple. That’s where he was killed.
THE ESCAPE
Massop, who was remanded on the murder charges, escaped the custody of the Ocho Rios police on Friday, August 11, along with four other prisoners.
Three of those prisoners have been since captured and sentenced to six months imprisonment. A fourth escapee is still on the run.
Massop was expected to have been slapped with additional charges of escaping custody and malicious destruction of property.
However, his destiny was to be death.
