Patrons scamper for cover during a gunfight at the British Link-Up Unity Dance at La Roose Dance Lawn on Port Henderson Road Sunday morning. (Photo: Marlon Reid)

POLICE investigating a gunfight between patrons at a dance in Port Henderson, St Catherine on Sunday morning have shackled to a hospital bed one of eight persons injured during the melee.

The police have not named the person they have under heavy guard, but yesterday said the person can assist them in their investigations.

The incident claimed the life of 41-year-old Clifton Reid, who police say is a member of the Lincoln Road-based Black Roses Crew. Six others, including a woman, are now suffering from gunshot wounds, while two other persons were injured during an ensuing stampede.

According to a patron at the British Link-Up Unity Dance, held at La Roose Dance Lawn on Port Henderson Road, Reid was shot twice in the face after he attempted to restrain one of several men who were involved in a fracas over a woman.

"The girl was hot, and this man went over to where some of the British Link-Up crew were standing and started to hara** the girl," the patron told the Observer. "She insulted him and him get agitated, but some of his friends removed him from the area and cried for peace, but in a while he was back troubling the woman."

All hell reportedly broke loose after the man, who was said to be sporting a dreadlocks hairstyle, was doused with liquor by one of the men who was in the woman's company, the patron claimed.

"Him pop off a gun and pure shot start fire. People turn idiot and start run up and down all 'bout," said the patron, who limped badly on an injured ankle.

The police are also seeking to bring the promoters of the Unity Dance to book after repeated attempts by the cops to end the session at 2:00 am in keeping with the Night Noise Abatement Act were ignored.

"The police went to the venue at least twice and turned off the sound systems each time, but as soon as they were out of earshot, the music was turned on again. This is a blatant disregard for the law and we will be coming down hard," a highly placed police source said yesterday.

Yesterday's Observer report incorrectly named Stone Love Movement as one of the two sound systems for which the dance was held in an effort to heal differences between the owners. However, the owner of Stone Love, Winston 'Wee Pow' Powell, yesterday told the Observer that his sound system was not at the dance.

The sound systems that played at the event were Fire Sound and Metromedia, the Observer was informed.
The shooting incident occurred at minutes to 8:00 on Sunday morning.