Police fire at wanted man

| 04/10/2008

(CNS): A wanted man was apprehended in George Town on Saturday 4 October and is now in custody after a short police pursuit which ended in North Church Street where the man was arrested for a number of offences. During the pursuit armed police officers reportedly fired their weapons and an investigation into the shooting is now  underway.

According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) no one was injured but a number of shots were discharged by the police as officers as they pursued the 32-year-old man who was wanted in connection with a number of serious offences including making threats to kill with the use of a firearm.

The incident started when officers on patrol attempted to stop the man, who was driving in Boddens Road, at approximately 10:15am. The man refused to comply with police instructions which is when the pursuit began.

 Police said the discharge of weapons by RCIPS officers is an unusual and rare occurrence for the Cayman Islands. In line with RCIPS policy, a full investigation into the incident has begun by officers’ independent from those involved, who are trained to investigate incidents which involve the discharge of police firearms. This investigation is being overseen by Superintendent Mike Needham and the Professional Standards Unit. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been notified and upon completion of the investigation, the FCO will facilitate a review by a team from another jurisdiction.

The officer in charge of the initial investigation is keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident. Anyone who was in the area should, in the first instance, contact Detective Inspector Kim Evans on 526-0628.

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.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Category: Local News

About the Author ()

Comments (5)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    Perhaps you should know a little more about the criminal or circumstances of the event which led to the discharging of the firearm before spewing your hatred towards the RCIPS. They are here to do a job and a very hard one at times when you think about it. A police officer is never really off duty.

    I would imagine that the Officer who discharged this firearm was a TRAINED member of the Uniform Support Group of the RCIP or Drugs Task Force as they are the only officers who have access to the firearms to my knowledge. I have not heard recently of these specially trained police officers just firing arms without reason in the RCIPS. Do you know who the criminal was that they were pursuing, did you stop to think what caused the officer to discharge the firearm. As the anonymous writer said, would you expect an officer to pull out a baton when faced with a gun himself, I think not. Do you know how many illegal guns there are in these small islands, it would let everyone think twice about our safe little Island.

    We should stop chewing ourselves things that the police do to make our islands safer and have faith that not all police officers in the world are trigger happy!!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    To clarify my point to Larry.

    When I said "step up their game", (please make note that phase was in quotes), I just meant to say that with the increase in crime committed with firearms, machetes, etc, certain branches of our security forces should carry weapons in order to protect themselves. I was NOT, under any circumstances endorsing the free hand out of firearms to every officer in the RCIPS.

    Just put yourself in this situation. You are on the job as a Police Officer; you are called to a disturbance in a certain area of George Town or West Bay and you come face to face with a person who has a firearm pointed at you, what would you do, take out your baton??

     

  3. Anonymous says:

    Just curious?  Are these officers just regular officers, because i thought that regular officers were not allowed to carry guns?  Could someone please clarify to me, who in the Police Force are allowed to carry guns and who are not?  Maybe i was sleeping when a new law passed that i did not become aware of?

    I can only hope that whomever the officer or officers that discharged the firearms did it very professionally as i understood they were running through people’s backyards?  That is pretty horrific to watch people run through your backyard firing gunshots. What if a baby is outside playing at the time or God forbid your dog goes at them and then they turn around and shoot your dog?  Sounds real dangerous and serious to me!  Is there not in the law where you can sue if people run through your backyard with firearms whether discharging gunshots in your yard or not?  Sounds like our own backyard or front or side yard is not safe in this island.  Is there anywhere safe in this island anymore, with all that’s going on, and all the armed robberies?  Cayman is small, there is no where to move to, it’s just one city so to speak.  From everything i have been hearing recently, it sounds like crime is now in every part of this island.

    So where should the focus of the Government be? (Becasue crime will run away the tourists and the banking, and that is how the economy survives here).

    The focus of the Government should be on setting an example of righteousness and no corruption, so that the people can learn by example of their leaders.  Everyone knows that the "DO AS I SAY, BUT NOT AS I DO"  teaching doesn’t work but only backfires.  The people will do as their Leaders do, not what their Leaders say they must do by Law.

    It starts at the TOP.  Get rid of the corruption, lies, deciet, trickery, hypocrisy, money worship, ego worship, etc.  It is only to gain fortune, fame and power, for one’s self, and is very hurtful against humanity.

    No one is any more important than anyone.  Does not matter rich, nor poor, nor fame, nor no fame.  There is no human being that is any better or greater than any other human being.  So get over yourself, and get over your ego problem, and then we can all set a better example to all people.  Be Kind.  Kindness begets kindness, Violence begets violence, Hypocrisy begets hypocrisy, Corruption begets corruption. 

    If the Leaders are corrupt, then how can you expect the people to not be corrupt?  That is what is called HYPOCRISY.

    YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!  If you want to reap rightesouness from the People, then you have to SOW RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM THE LEADERS.

    What is Righteousness?   Righteousness is DON’T DO UNTO ANOTHER THAT YOU WOULD NOT LIKE THEM TO DO UNTO YOU.  DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO UNTO YOU.  LOVE GOD, AND LOVE AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER.  That Sums up
    Righteousness.

    Capiche?  Do you get it?  Try to, you will be happy and joyful in your soul if you get it.  Happy people do not carry out acts of unkindness against another.  All crime is an act of unkindness against another.  Be happy!  Love Righteousness and be Kind to others, and you will be happy!  Everyone wants to be happy.  Many just don’t know how to go about attaining happiness and look for it in ways of fortune, fame and power, only to frustratingly find that there is no happiness in that.  Happiness comes from giving kindness and receiving kindness to and from others.  Not from material things, or wealth or fortune or fame or power.  

    THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING THE SAME WAY AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS!

    Call me for free counselling anytime, i will be happy to counsel you!  No Charge!

     

     

  4. larry says:

    The Investigation process is designed and managed so that we do not end up like Brazil and Jamaica with exjudicial killings. As for "Stepping up the game" taking someone’s life is not a game, neither is shooting at people criminal or not who pose no imminent threat to life, and as far as the comparison to discharging firearms like criminals you need to get real. As for arming the Security forces in order to control crime you are seriously out of touch with reality if one thinks that this is a viable solution. It sure hasn’t helped it in Certain other Jurisdictions. particularily if we continue to ignore the underlying social Factors. A measured response and the responsible use of deadly force and oversight including "Investigation" are absolutely necessary in a civilized society. Because they found it necessary does not mean it was necessary this is what the investigation will determine and justify in regards to the use of deadly force against a member of the public .

    also a concerned Caymanian

  5. Anonymous says:

    I cannot understand why there has to be an investigation when our security forces find it necessary to discharge their firearms. We have criminals who fire shots every other day, so it is obvious our security forces must "step up their game", as well, in order to keep crime under control.

    A concerned Caymanian and strong supporter of the RCIPS.