The owner of Hamilton's Club Vintage yesterday said the late-night chase which ended in Omari Gordon allegedly firing at Police officers had nothing to do with his bar.

Neil Inchcup is worried people will connect Club Vintage to trouble after The Royal Gazette reported the gunman-on-the-loose had been spotted behaving suspiciously outside the venue shortly before officers pursued him across the back of town.

It is understood Gordon — for whom the manhunt is now in its sixth day — had been on a mission of revenge against a rival who stabbed him some months ago.

But Mr. Inchcup says he has no reason to believe that rival was in Club Vintage that night, and the first he heard about that part of Reid Street being the starting point of the pursuit was when he read it in this newspaper.

He said that in fact he had shut his club at 2.30 a.m. to 2.40 a.m. because guests celebrating a birthday were caught smoking; and he called Police to let them know he had closed early.

Officers who arrived at the scene then saw the motorcyclist believed to be Gordon driving very slowly with his lights off. They approached him but he sped off, eventually leading them into Middletown, where he shot at them before disappearing.

"It was a normal night," said Mr. Inchcup. "I told the Police the reason my party ended is because there was smoking in my club.

"The Police parked outside to make sure all the patrons left — we don't want people hanging around. That's when they saw the guy.

"If somebody drives by any building with the lights off, the Police are going to go and question him. It just so happened they were parked outside my club.

"I have had so many people call up and say you have had an incident in your club. We haven't had any incidents."

Emergency Response Team officers are carrying firearms as they hunt for Gordon, 26. They have repeatedly called for him to give himself up, or for whoever is harbouring him to turn him in.

Gordon, a soon-to-be-father, is said by locals to be a gang member but a follower rather than a ringleader.

Anyone with information should call the Serious Crime Unit on 299-4315 or the confidential CrimeStoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.