The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

STATE National Security Minister Keith Bell yesterday defended the integrity of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in the wake of another death of a man who was being held at a police station.

However, he refused to give any information about the circumstances surrounding the man’s death on Saturday. For the second day, police also said they could not give details because the matter has been handed over to Coroner Jeanine Weech-Gomez.

Insisting that the RBPF operates and functions under best practices, the senator said the police system of justice faced scrutiny by international advisors under both the PLP and FNM administrations, but has been found to be transparent.

He added that “no system is perfect”, but said the police force has modified its procedure of checks and balances to not only safeguard the organisation, but to protect those in custody.

The state minister said cameras had also been installed in police stations as a precautionary measure. He noted that such surveillance measures were “improved” following the custody deaths of two men last year in the same weekend.

However, he declined to specify to which stations he referred.

He was questioned on whether there were any concerns from the government about perceived abuse of suspects in custody from law enforcement in light of Saturday’s incident. A source has confirmed that the man died at the Wulff Road Police Station.

Mr Bell said because the coroner has taken over the case, both the government and the RBPF were essentially under a gag order.

A representative from the Coroner’s Court told The Tribune that Mrs Weech-Gomez had no comment yesterday.

“So the police hands (are tied) once the coroner goes to that scene, the case is turned over to the coroner,” he said after the Senate’s morning recess.

“In that regard, the Commissioner of Police (Ellison Greenslade) all he can say is that an investigation has commenced and the coroner is conducting the investigation. Nobody else can say anything because it will prejudice the case. And further more, the most important thing that you don’t want to do is preempt anything that the coroner may find.

“We continuously look at best practices around the world where you do have instances and cases where, let’s say a person dies in custody and you have a case or a set of rules which say an officer is to check a suspect periodically.

“(Back when I was an officer) we may not have had that rule. But the police force I know now has that rule. The police force had to develop a system where there is a detention record. You have to actually document and say that you questioned that person and what that person said. There is a system in place where you have to document that you actually fed that person.”

His words came as The Tribune, for a second day, attempted to get information about the case and as senators debated an amendment to the Coroner’s Bill. It seeks to add legitimacy and weight to the coroner, Mr Bell said.

Aaron Rolle and Jamie Smith both died while police detained them. The deaths happened on February 8 and 9, 2013 respectively.

On May 7, 2013, a jury in the Coroner’s Court determined that force used against Rolle, 20, by police while in custody was not justified. He died at the Southern Police Station just hours after he was taken into custody for questioning related to armed robbery and escape.

A pathologist’s report said Rolle died from haemorrhaging and a ruptured intestine, caused by blunt force trauma to the chest.

An inquest was held into the Smith’s death. A pathologist’s report concluded that he died of asphyxia, an excess of carbon dioxide caused by abnormal breathing.

Smith, 20, died at the Central Detective Unit within two hours of his arrest on suspicion of armed robbery. The Coroner’s Court found that his death was justified. Several attempts were made to reach Mr Greenslade, but up to press time they were not successful.