Security guard contains potential gun threat

| 21/09/2009

(CNS): UPDATE Monday 11:30am — Two teens have been arrested on suspicion of possession of an unlicensed firearm, and a BB gun was recoverd over the weekend following an incident at the Al la Kebab premises near the Marquis cinema early Saturday morning. After spotting what appeared to be a man with a firearm, a local security guard confronted the suspect. According to a spokesperson for the security firm Titan, the guard’s actions resulted in the suspect fleeing immediately from the busy scene. “It was quick thinking on the guard’s part that averted another possibly very dangerous situation,” said Matthew Leslie, owner of the firm.

The incident was also caught on CCTV, which Leslie commended the owner, Alan Silverman, for installing. “Mr Silverman has spent a considerable amount on security at his premises, which is a very popular night time dining spot with tourists, residents and locals,” said Leslie. “With a significant number of security staff and the cameras, people were kept safe when this incident occurred.”

Once the guard spotted what looked like a gun, he dialled 911 and approached the individual. A police spokesperson confirmed that two people had been arrested inconnection with the incident and officers had recovered what could be a weapon or an imitation firearm, which is being examined by an expert.

Leslie noted that with the number of firearms related incidents lately, it seems that anything could happen anywhere and the only way to tackle the issue is for owners of businesses to beef up security. “People think that they are immune from prosecution and that they can pull out a weapon anywhere with total disregard. However, when people are caught on CCTV then there is no escaping that,” he said.

According to the police, The 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call from a security guard at around 2.25am on Saturday morning (September 19) reporting that a man was at the location with a gun.

Police responded to the scene and arrested two 18-year-old men on suspicion of possession of an unlicensed firearm. A search of the area resulted in the recovery of a BB gun. The two men are currently in police custody.

Residents are reminded of the dangers of being in possession of BB guns, air weapons, imitation weapons and replica guns stressing that armed officers must respond to
reports of weapons and treat the situation as if it is a real gun until they can be sure otherwise.

Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Kudos to you Security,

    what would make an unarmed guard approach a individual with a firearm?,thank god my friend, you could have been shot.To risk your wellbeing for such a mediocre salary,is noble.Why? aren’t the Armed police in PLAIN civilian clothes hanging out and blending in with the crowd to be on location to curve this madness.So many officers and there usally never there,when the Rumble starts.

  2. SWT says:

    The next thing we are going to hear is a gun getting into a church.  I heard that the funeral for Carlo Webster looked like a ganster style funeral with the thugs and rude boys there.  How sad.  Live by the sword and die by the sword.

    If these young boys are  not dying then they are getting locked up.  Whether real or an imitation firearm these 2 young man are now gone for at least 10 years.  When will they learn. We are losing our youth.

    At least this Security Officer had the balls to confront this young thug and keep people from getting hurt.  But when will we not be so lucky.  When will an innocent person get caught in the cross fire of these boys killing each other and shooting up the place.  This island is not the island I remember 40 years ago.  Not even the island I remember 10 years ago. 

    • Anonymous says:

      When you go to a funeral I would think that you are going to show respect to the family/to pay your last respects to the deceased – not go around afterwards to talk  about what people were wearing or if you thought that they are part of a gang .  And exactly what is a thug and a rdue boy – is that determined by the dress or the attitude/personality or the look someone might have on their face?  I went to the candle light service on Friday night to show my respect and it was a beautiful service – singing, words of encouragement to the family and to the community,scripture reading, emotional moments.  I was unable to make it to the funeral, although I would have loved to have been there as I remember Carlo as a little boy and knew him as an adult as well. Again I send my sincere condolences to his entire family and friends.  

    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t like your comment out Carlo’s funeral, whoever you are. Thugs and gangster or whatever you want to call them are EVERYWHERE.. It was no gangster type funeral, you making it sound like as if all the people there who participated were all gangsters. Them type of people may have been there in the congregation but not everyone there was that type of person, matter of fact, the majority wasn’t. So just be careful what you saying, and whoever telling you that.. maybe they should have stayed home, we never needed anyone coming there to find some fault to go back on the road and talk. The family already has enough to deal with, no need be hearing people saying about his funeral was gangster type. Carlo was no hurt to anyone. So I kindly ask you, to please be careful what you saying. Typical people, talk too much! The family and respectable people participated in the funeral, and that was that. Let Carlo rest in peace, and leave all the foolishness elsewhere, that not going solve anything. We just need to stop all this crime and gun thing, and find justice to all innocent lives lives lost. Thanks. PEACE.

  3. TRUTH says:

    I hope they go in front of Ramsey and she throws them away for 25 years.  I am sick of having to read about these gun stories everyday.  They have to wake up and learn.

  4. Blair Hankins says:

    What that security guard did was very brave indeed.  It goes to show that there are some people willing to stand up.   Are these 2 men Caymanian and how old are they?  It is such a shame that we seem to be losing our young people to these illegal guns.  Something has to be done.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Why are these young people so stupid.  Who needs to go to a family place like A La Kebab with a gun? Was he out to shoot someone that night?  What a mess.  Titan Security good job!!

  6. Anonymous says:

    Whoever this officer is, he should be given an award.  That is the kind of Security and Policing this island needs. Let these gunman realise that we are not standing up for this sort of behaviour in our islands anymore.  I go to A La Kebab all the time and there is a large crowd there on the weekends.  What if this fool started shooting and injured someone.  I say throw him away for a long time.

  7. anonymous1 says:

    Why in Gods world would any one need to go to a place like Ala-Kebab with any type of weapon, that is the sick minds of these ass*****, a popular place for locals and tourist alike, so here is my take, we as good citizens may feel offended but the police need to do random checks and searches in crowed places especially at night, better safe than sorry, I know you bleeding hearts will say I am a wrong but I have had enough.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are quite correct – at this point and with all this violent crime it is time to start random searches. Screw privacy if it saves lifes. If you are not doing anything wrong , you have nothing to worry about! its that simple. whatever it takes RCIP.