This is the face of 26-year-old Omari Kabair Gordon, who was last night at the centre of a huge Police manhunt after allegedly shooting at officers with a handgun.

The unusual step of naming the prime suspect came amid fears that he remained armed and dangerous after the incident in Middletown around 3 a.m on Saturday.

The drama began when patrol officers attempted to stop a man on his cycle. He drove into the neighbourhood and abandoned the cycle before pulling out what's believed to be a gun and firing on them. No-one was hurt.

Last night Police media relations manager Dwayne Caines said of Gordon, a Bermudian from Pembroke: "We are appealing for Omari to turn himself in. We will not stop until he is found.

"We are also reminding the public that aiding and abetting a fugitive from the law is a crime and punishable by a fine and / or jail time.

"Police are looking for him and have gone to places we think he is. It will be in his best interests to turn himself in to the nearest Police station as soon as possible.

"We are assuming he is still armed and taking all the necessary precautions. Any time there's an incident with a firearm that person is a potential danger to himself and others, so we are assuming based on the nature of the incident that he is a danger to others.

"Officers who are trained to deal with firearms incidents are looking for him, which incorporates armed officers from the Bermuda Police Service. If the public see this man we are not asking for anyone to do anything heroic. Pick up the phone and contact the Police. Do not put yourself or your family in danger."

Mr. Caines said he's only released the name of a suspect once or twice before in almost ten years as a Police spokesman "but when we have someone known to us and have an active manhunt and are dealing with firearms, we're using all the tools at our disposal."

He refused to comment on whether Gordon has a prior criminal record. The incident is the first report of a gun being pulled on a Police officer since the case of Allan Daniels, who attempted to shoot Detective Constable Warren Bundy at point blank range when he pursued him over a suspected drug deal in Court Street, Pembroke, in 2004.

The gun did not go off, but a magazine found after the incident contained four live rounds. Daniels is currently serving a 12-year sentence for that and drug offences.

The last time a gun was used against a Police officer prior to that is believed to be the murder of Commissioner George Duckett in September 1972 by Erskine Durrant (Buck) Burrows.

The latest incident has left many Bermudians in shock, with Premier Ewart Brown saying last night: "My concern is doing all we can to ensure it doesn't happen again.

"I strongly believe that every Bermudian, no matter where he or she lives, deserves the peace of mind that comes with living on a safe street and in a safe community. I think we can reach that goal."

On August 22, Dr. Brown announced a raft of initiatives to tackle knife and gun crime, including an increased Police presence on the streets and exploring the ideas of a weapons amnesty and SWAT team.

Asked for an update on those plans last night, he replied: "The Government doesn't singularly have the authority to enact all the anti-crime initiatives it pitches so we consult with the appropriate law enforcement officials and dialogue with Government House.

"If and when our initiatives successfully pass through that process, they will be implemented as quickly as is feasible."

The Saturday incident came hot on the heels of violence in Flatts on Friday afternoon, when a trio of men allegedly armed with blades and blunt weapons burst into the local barbershop and attacked a worker in front of customers. Three arrests were made over the weekend.

Michael Dunkley, Shadow Minister for Public Safety, said: "I continue to be shocked and amazed at the level of incidents in recent times.

"This came just a few hours after what happened in Flatts. People need to understand that, unfortunately, Bermuda has changed. I'm not accepting it and we need to do everything we can to challenge it."

• Anyone with information about the Middletown incident or Omari Gordon's whereabouts should call the Serious Crime Unit on 299-4315 or the confidential Crimestoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.