The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 40-year-old man is dead in Grand Bahama after being stabbed in the stomach while attempting to retrieve a woman’s purse from a thief. The deceased, who is being hailed a “samaritan,” died of his injuries at the Rand Memorial Hospital yesterday.

Reports said a woman resident was accosted in the Freeport area around 10am on Monday by a man who snatched her purse from her vehicle and fled. She chased the man and was assisted in her pursuit by two men who were nearby.

A struggle followed once the men caught the would-be thief and recovered the bag. However, one of the men was stabbed in the stomach by the culprit who then escaped.

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Emrick Seymour told The Tribune yesterday that the suspect police are looking for is 29-year-old Rashid Farrington, who is known to them.

Mr Seymour said he expects to charge Farrington soon after he is in police custody.

Mr Seymour said the woman on whose behalf the two “samaritans” acted, appeared to be devastated by the news of his death. The Tribune tried to reach the woman yesterday, but received no response up to press time.

“She’s taking it very hard,” said Mr Seymour. “She’s very thankful about her purse, but very, very distraught that the individual who came to her aid lost his life.”  

He added: “Look how an innocent man tried to assist a victim and ended up losing his life in the process. We decry this action. It’s very sad because it’s something we’ve been trying to get people to do, to assist when things like this are happening; and now we have this, a person who died in the line of trying to lend assistance.

“What better sacrifice can be expected of someone? We will meet with the family to praise (the deceased) for his heroic efforts.”

The stabbing victim became the 10th murder for the year in Grand Bahama and the 115th overall in the country for 2014.