By Ava Turnquest
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FEARS over escalating gun violence persist in the Fox Hill community, according to the wife of an off-duty reservist who shot and killed an alleged robber who acted “in a threatening manner” early yesterday morning.
According to police, the off-duty reserve cop saw a man breaking into his neighbour’s vehicle across the street.
His wife, whose name has been withheld, told The Tribune she felt it was necessary for residents to arm themselves, adding she felt safe knowing that her husband had a licenced firearm.
Insisting crime was out of control, she said her neighbourhood was a hotspot with car and home break-ins occurring frequently.
“You always have to be watching over your shoulders,” she said, “no matter what kind of situation it is. The crime situation is very out of control. I don’t know what to say or how to put it in perspective, but it’s really getting out of hand for the last couple months.
“It’s increased to the high, it’s very scary…it’s escalating.
“I know (police) trying they best and they’re scared because they have family too but it ain’t in control. It’s way out of control. We had a lot of killings in this area, Step Street, people being gunned down, couple people done get shoot out on the (Fox Hill) park. It’s not safe to go anywhere around here, because you don’t know who at this point have gun.”
The reserve officer’s wife, 49, has lived in the area for three years but her husband is a life-long resident.
The reserve police officer reportedly heard noise outside his home in Fox Hill shortly after 4am, and went outside armed with his licensed shotgun to investigate.
“Once his presence was known,” a police report read, “the suspect acted in a threatening manner, resulting in the officer discharging his weapon and injuring the man. The injured man was transported to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.”
The matter will now go to Coroner’s Court, according to Acting Police Commissioner Paul Rolle.
When asked whether she thought residents in the area should be armed, the reserve officer’s wife said: “Very much, this is a crime area up in here, especially on the back road, known for car break-ins and people breaking open houses. I feel very safe, but at one point when (my husband) go on the island I used to be so scared.”
She continued: “Especially when it get around two or three o’clock in the morning, that’s when they start coming. You hear the dog constantly barking. Last night the dogs was constantly barking, that’s how we knew he was out there.”
She said the alleged robber charged towards her husband with a screwdriver, adding it was the second time in recent weeks that cars at the neighbouring apartment had been broken into.
She called for increased police patrols in the area, and noted police response to reports of break-ins were not consistent.
“We need some assistance with that,” the reserve officer’s wife said, “even in hours of the night you need to have police patrolling and assisting because you can’t do it alone. You only could protect your neighbours so far, we still need community policing to come on board sometimes you call for them they don’t come.
“The first time we call they haven’t really showed up,” she said, “but I was glad (Thursday) morning they came on time. But many times, you call the police they don’t respond.”
Yesterday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames and Acting Police Commissioner Rolle warned against conflating the shooting with an incident last Friday in which police killed three men at a home while executing a search warrant. During that incident, police said the men opened fire and officers were in fear for their lives.
“Let’s not confuse this,” Mr Dames told reporters.
“I believe it was a shooting involving a police reserve, right, who lived within a particular community. I don’t know the full circumstances around that, but we will see what the police investigation says at the end of the day.”
He added: “And so let’s not confuse that with police on duty and shooting. That’s a different situation.”
Acting Commissioner Rolle stressed the reserve officer was not acting in an official capacity.
“We have to investigate it see the circumstances but that incident happened with an individual as a resident, taking place at his residence, he was protecting his residence.
Mr Rolle added: “He was not acting as a police officer, don’t mix them up. He just happened to be a police.”
Yesterday, The Tribune asked Mr Rolle for statistics on the number of licensed firearms registered in the country but the request was denied.
Comments
John 5 years, 5 months ago
So if Marvin Dame's 'invade homes and shoot to kill" policy is so great and so effective, why didn't the police (and/or marines) invade the home of the marine who allegedly breached the security of government house, disarmed another marine, shot and killed another in a barrage of gunfire and allegedly escaped without a scratch? The perversion of natural justice is the worst crime.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 5 months ago
Re-post: Word on the street is that the reservist shouted three times for the suspected car thief to hold up his hands and slowly turn around, but the guy refused to obey and just stood still until all of a sudden he began swearing loudly as he quickly spun around towards the reservist with a motion that made him appear to be reaching for something in his possession, possibly a firearm. I know if I were the reservist in these circumstances, facing a disobedient car thief in the dark of night who suddenly acted in a most threatening manner, I would have shot him in an instant with no hesitation whatsoever.
We keep forgetting that the vast majority of our police and reservists put their lives on the line when serving to protect us. It's wrong for us to consider all of them to be brutal beasts and murderers simply because Marvin Dames and the police commissioner seem incapable of identifying the bad actors and ejecting them from the force.
paul_vincent_zecchino 5 years, 5 months ago
Bravo. The reservist had literally about one half second to make a decision. Had he hesitated, he'd likely be dead. Thank you saying it, sir.
John 5 years, 5 months ago
“Let’s not confuse this,” Mr Dames told reporters.
“I believe it was a shooting involving a police reserve, right, who lived within a particular community. I don’t know the full circumstances around that, but we will see what the police investigation says at the end of the day.”
He added: “And so let’s not confuse that with police on duty and shooting. That’s a different situation.”
Acting Commissioner Rolle stressed the reserve officer was not acting in an official capacity.
word on which street?
birdiestrachan 5 years, 5 months ago
she can say what ever she wishes. But the TRUE CRIME is when a man is Shot across the street. So does it mean the Bahamas has now become Dodge City?
birdiestrachan 5 years, 5 months ago
Taking place at his resident . Hell No it was across the street.
Clamshell 5 years, 5 months ago
@Birdie ... he shot across the street? At a guy brandishing a screwdriver?
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 5 months ago
The reservist may not have been able to see what the guy was holding or reaching for when he eventually started swearing loudly and then suddenly turned around. In any event, for all the reservist knew the screwdriver could just as easily have been a hand gun.
Clamshell 5 years, 5 months ago
... OK ... so he started swearing and turned around ... and the reservist shot him?
Here’s the thing: Any person on the street at any time “might have a gun, for all the officer knew.” It sounds as if we’re leaning to an argument that the police have a right to shoot anybody they care to because they “might have a gun, for all the officer knew.”
Good luck with that.
curious 5 years, 5 months ago
The Bahamas police are going down a road that Jamaica and Haiti police forces have gone down. We all know that road is a dangerous one. Killing someone because of a hunch or suspicion can’t be right. Will this be classified after years of investigation as an “ unlawful “ killing and the reservist will continue as if nothing happened because the commissioner of police says there’s no protocol to address it by law.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 5 months ago
Bad neighborhood, dark - 3 AM, trespassing, attempting to steal a car, disobedient when told to lift arms high and slowly turn around, then sudden threatening move.....say what you want, but you too would have pulled the trigger for fear of losing your own life.
Clamshell 5 years, 5 months ago
Mudda, you make the mistake of assuming that every guy who has been issued a badge and a gun is highly-trained, highly-skilled, intelligent, efficient and emotionally stable. That’s a bad bet, bro.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 5 months ago
Okay, I get it. At best you're against the right of an individual to use a firearm in a threatening situation warranting an act of self defense. Or at worst you're supportive of those who chant "pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon". But don't ever forget that it's the Bahamian voter (presumably like you) who is responsible for electing government officials who get to determine who is eligible and qualified to own, carry and use a firearm.
Clamshell 5 years, 5 months ago
I have owned firearms my entire adult life and have two (retired) police officers in my family. They will be the first to tell you that some of the guys they worked with should never have been allowed anywhere a loaded weapon.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 5 months ago
It was the neighbourly reservist who put his life on the line, and I'm therefore inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt in this unfortunate incident involving a loss of life. You're of course free to give whoever you choose the benefit of doubt. I have nothing else to add on this matter.
Clamshell 5 years, 5 months ago
Just a friendly debate, Mudda, and I respect your views ... but there is some serious question here about what sort of threat this officer actually faced and whether he had “put his life on the line” at all. There’s no indication that the guy he shot was even near him, and he wasn’t armed. The officer seems to be alive. The other guy is not. Maybe someday all the facts will come out, but the only living witness is ... the officer. So ... that’s it. Maybe we oughta hire cops who don’t frighten so easily.
John 5 years, 5 months ago
Kill em all and let God sort it out
John 5 years, 5 months ago
Police are being used for ethnic cleansers of their own people. Our leaders are too blind to see what is going on. While our country is being stolen from under out feet.
Baha10 5 years, 5 months ago
We must as Citizens at risk of death be aforded the most basic of human rights, namely the right to protect ourselves by being granted the right to bear arms.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 5 months ago
Dead man cannot give evidence in court ........... What happens in Fox Hill stays in Fox Hill.
John 5 years, 5 months ago
So I’m reading this book where they say the CIA comes into a country infiltrates the criminal element. Incites crime and violence, getting citizens to fight against and kill up each other. They also have agents controlling the media to ensure every crime action gets the front page or headlines. The average citizen goes into fear mode and the State Department issues warning to travelers to that country. And the blind and ignorant law enforcement officers in that country work alongside the CIA feeding them information and restricting and killing their own citizens. Does this sound like the Bahamas? Arawak Cay, Potters Cay , Montagu, Government House, the jet ski operators, the Butler at Sandals, the hair braiders, the night clubs, the web shops and even the guys under the tree playing Domonioes’s or on the park. And our Minister of National Security is so blinded, so proud to send helicopters to disturb the people dem in the middle of the night. So happy to invade homes and kill up all the man dem... a self appointed executioner.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 5 months ago
John, tell your doctor that you're experiencing increasing signs of paranoia and ask him whether your daily dosage of mood stabilizing medication should be upped by 30 or 40 mg.
Clamshell 5 years, 5 months ago
Uh ... yeah. So the CIA wants to foment crime and death and disturbance in Nassau ... why? To make it less safe for millions of U.S. tourists? And to do this, they’re targeting the hair braiders on Arawak Cay?
Sounds to me like somebody’s hair got braided just a bit too tight.
John 5 years, 5 months ago
Obviously your comments are confirmation of the intentions. Their intention is to exclude Black Bahamians from economic commerce according to this book. So while Atlantis and Bah Mar and other properties record record profits, the average Bahamian will still struggle to put bread on his table. Over 80 Billion tons of cocaine will enter the United States this year. Based on drug seizures, less than 1 Tom ( much less) will transit through The Bahamas or by Bahamians. Yet they still have The Bahamas listed as a drug trafficking nation. Opioids including fentanyl has killed over seventy thousand Americans last year and is expected to kill even more this year. How many persons has been arrested and charged and sentenced for trafficking opioids? One drug company was found to have distributed several million opioid pills in a town that had only 6,000 residents. How many people has marijuana killed, yet they have it listed as a schedule 1 drug and the minister of health has now single handedly banned products that are derived from this plant. Yet many of the medications dispensed by the public hospitals are cocaine and opium based.
John 5 years, 5 months ago
@ clamshell obviously you have an issue with Bahamian culture and hair braiding. Proves the point that you want them banned, correct? Happy Memorial Day to you!
John 5 years, 5 months ago
The book also mentions the burning of the retirement home in Jamaica that killed 381 old women, many of whom were blind. Investigations revealed that all the exits in that home were blocked and the phone wires cut moments before the fire. Remember?
John 5 years, 5 months ago
Based on current trends and numbers, Marvin Dames and the police will kill banother 40 Bahamians before the next elections.
Clamshell 5 years, 5 months ago
@John ... OK, so we’ve gone from the CIA targeting hair-braiders on Arawak Cay last week to the CIA burning down a Jamaican retirement home full of old blind women 40 years ago. Uh ... OK. I dunno what book you’re reading, you haven’t mentioned the title, but I’m curious if it also exposes the CIA’s involvement in Chernobyl, AIDS, MRSA, measles and the nightmare of psoriasis.
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