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As gunshots rang out yesterday afternoon in the upscale community of Jacks Hill, St Andrew, a gardener said he had to take evasive action as bullets whistled past his ears.

"Mi in the yard a pick some mango and next ting mi know mi hear bare tings sound like shot. At first mi think it was a man a work with a jackhammer, but same time mi just see bare shot a whistle through the trees dem a come. Mi have to drop pon mi belly and take cover," the man said.

Uncertain of what was happening, the gardener said he frantically contacted his employer, who informed him to press a panic button which would inform a security company of an emergency.

"A when the security dem come mi realise say a police an man inna shootout," he said. The gardener was in a neighbouring property to where five men were reportedly cut down by police during a confrontation. According to police reports, a police team was carrying out investigations into a murder plot which led the officers to a location on Jacks Hill Road. On their arrival at the premises, the officers came under heavy gunfire and responded. When the shooting subsided, five men were seen with gunshot wounds. They were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead. Four firearms - a shot gun, one M16 rifle, a Glock pistol and a Taurus pistol - were recovered from the scene. No police officer was injured during the confrontation.

The matter was reported to the Independent Commission of Investigations and the police's Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau. The identities of the deceased men were not revealed up to press time last night. Three of the men are said to be from a Red Hills Road address while the other two are said to be from West Kingston. The incident is a new one for the gardener.

"This year is 25 years since mi a work up here and mi never once hear dem tings here. Dis strange man because shot nuh fire up here. Mi know a lot of people traumatise because mi a tell yuh say mi frighten eno," the gardener said.

As police processed the scene, a number of curious motorists were observed rolling down the windows of their high end vehicles to make enquires of what transpired. One woman, after throwing praises at a team of police, said although the sound of gunshots are rare within the quiet community, pedestrians are often targets and victims of robberies.

"Is a good job the officers dem do because only gunman would walk with gun. Mi say you can barely walk in peace during the days because car and bike will just pop up and dem grab yuh bag or take yuh phone. Little people dem just all work and collect dem pay and go home with nutten because man hold dem and take it from dem," she said.