(Jamaica Observer) Tension was high in the tough Portmore communities of Newlands and Naggo Head yesterday following the police killing of an area ‘don’, Dante Morris, who was said to be involved in the slaying earlier of a policeman.

Police from the St Catherine South Division, however, were not taking any chances and had a strong contingent of officers in the communities on Monday night to avoid a worsening of the situation.

Police said they went to Morris’ home at White Lane in Naggo Head and were fired upon. In an ensuing gunfight Morris was cut down, the police reported.

He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The police also reported that an illegal firearm was taken from Morris.

“He had to be taken out, we had no choice,” said a policeman from the Mobile Reserve, which was called in to assist the St Catherine South police.

Police said Morris, who was taken out by officers in an alleged shoot-out, was among a group of gunmen who called Constable Miguel Cuff out of his house at Rosemary Lane, near to Naggo Head, bound his hands and abducted him.

The gunmen reportedly shouted that they were police when they went to Cuff’s home.

The policeman’s home was later torched and shot up by his attackers, but his girlfriend who was with him at the time reportedly escaped unhurt.

Cuff’s body was later found in his Toyota Hiace minibus in the nearby community of Southborough. He had three gunshot wounds to the head.

Cuff, the fourth policeman to be killed since the start of the year, was assigned to the Police Statistics Department.

On Monday, Security Minister Dwight Nelson, in a release to the media, condemned Cuff’s killing and urged residents of Naggo Head to purge their community of criminals.

“They have no mercy, they have no loyalty and they will cut you down as easily as they cut down the policeman who was sworn to serve and protect you. You must now move decisively to uproot criminal elements to ensure that your community is safe,” the release stated.