ST CATHERINE, Jamaica – A policeman pepper-sprayed a number of customers at the gates of the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) offices in Twickenham Park, St Catherine on Monday.

The incident occurred amid a sick-out by RGD employees which crippled the entity’s operations across the island.

It is understood that about 10:30am, persons wishing to do business with the entity had gathered outside the locked gates of the RGD’s Twickenham Park offices.

A police pick-up with four constables aboard approached, and the cops instructed the gathering of mostly women to clear the entrance for the vehicle to proceed inside.

After complying with the orders of the police, several of the civilians were pepper-sprayed by one of the cops, who were accused of being “wicked” and disrespectful to women.

“Him could never have a mother,” shouted one woman.

The incident was captured on video by an OBSERVER ONLINE videographer.

RGD workers are restive over aspects of the public sector compensation review which has also led to industrial action at other Government agencies.

The customers gathered outside the Twickenham Park offices on Monday said no one from the RGD had offered them an explanation for why the gates were locked.