A FORMER York City Knights player has been involved in a police shooting drama while in America for an international rugby tournament.

According to reports from the US, Wayne Reittie was travelling in a car with fellow members of the Jamaican team when they were pulled over by a police officer for a suspected speeding offence in the Jacksonville area.

When the police officer returned to his car to run a check, it is claimed he was fired on six times by a hidden sniper.

Halifax player Paul White, who was also in the car, said: “All of a sudden we heard two shots. We were a bit shocked because some of us had not heard stuff like that before.

“Then the two shots were followed by another four shots. That’s when we started to get worried.”

One of the players then left the car to see if the police officer was injured but were ordered by the officer to leave the scene for their own safety.

“For someone like us, from England, where our police don’t even have guns, that was a big shock to the system really,” said White.

“At the time, it was an experience. Now, when you come to think about it, we don’t know where that gunfire came from. We don’t know what was going on.”

The players were in America competing in the Atlantic Cup, a tournament involving the US, Canada and Jamaica. The competition is being staged in Jacksonville because of the popularity of the sport in the area.