By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A MAN who residents say was blind, was shot and killed by police Friday, prompting an angry confrontation between residents and police in the East Street area where the shooting occurred.
Police claimed the man was with someone else and as the pair fled on a motorbike, one of them aimed a firearm in the direction of officers.
However, police could not say whether the man who was shot and killed was the one who brandished the weapon. There was no report that a weapon was recovered from the scene.
The man’s death marks the fourth time someone has been killed by police this month and the ninth time it has happened since the beginning of November 2017.
The recent incident brings the number of outstanding cases for which a Coroner’s Court inquest must be held to at least 32. It remains unclear, however, what efforts officials have undertaken to ensure inquests are held as the law demands.
Police said shortly before 10pm, officers responded to a report of gunshots fired in the area of Plantol Street and East Street.
“As officers approached Irish Spring Court and Plantol Street, the same area where a homicide had taken place a few nights before, they encountered two men on a motorcycle,” police said in a press statement.
“One of the men produced a firearm,” police said. “The officers being in fear for their lives fired at the armed man, resulting in one of the men being fatally shot. Her Majesty’s coroner will continue investigations into the matter.”
Tension reached dizzying heights between residents and the police after the shooting. In a video that circulated on social media after the incident, one woman repeatedly yelled: “The police them just shoot a blind man.”
Another man similarly shouted “A blind man,” a sentiment expressed by many in the video.
“They wrong, they wrong, they wrong,” the woman screamed, while some cried.
“Y’all kill my nephew, y’all gon pay for that,” one man said.
Officers struggled to maintain order and keep residents beyond the yellow tape that walled off the scene. At one point, an officer drew his weapon in front of the crowd as he shouted for the people to move. However, this action appeared to enrage the crowd even further. “I recording it, I recording it,” the woman shouted. “Y’all think this a game?” one person said. “You gon’ shoot me too, hey?” added another.
Last year, Attorney General Carl Bethel said the lack of inquests into police-involved killings over a number of years has been “unacceptable” and that he would determine if administrative or legislative fixes are needed to address the issue.
However, he has not yet announced what steps will be taken with respect to the matter.
Comments
sealice 6 years, 2 months ago
so.... Irish Spring Court is a high crime area? I'll have to remember to keep my ars out of that shitholio.....
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 2 months ago
"#Police claimed the man was with someone else and as the pair fled on a motorbike, one of them aimed a firearm in the direction of officers. However, police could not say whether the man who was shot and killed was the one who brandished the weapon. There was no report that a weapon was recovered from the scene. "
I'm not sure I understood this right, police don't know which of the two the "blind" man was, he was either the man operating the motorcycle or he was the one shooting at them.
Sickened 6 years, 2 months ago
Blind people can be criminals too. Just cause he blind don't mean he wasn't carrying a gun. If police tell you to stop or step back I advise all the brave and very ignorant people out there to stop or step back. WE AINT PLAYIN NO MORE!!!!
DEDDIE 6 years, 2 months ago
Blind people don't drive motorbikes or aim guns. The police have some explaining to do.
ohdrap4 6 years, 2 months ago
or the blind man has some explaining to do.
if this goes to court, are the " residents" going to testify thet the man was blind?
the tribune should say the residents CLAIMED he was blind. [Or ALLEGED]
hrysippus 6 years, 2 months ago
So now our police shoot men who are blind, ... ... ...... About a sick a thing as you could find, ......... ... ... ..... Some criminals in this Nassau town of ours, ............ .. .. ... Wear uniforms, on the wrong side of the bars, ...... ... ... ... .. Others as wicked, wear suit and tie, . . ........ .. ... Elected to office by telling good lie, ............ ... ... The doctors are greedy, the lawyers as well, .............. ..... .... The pastors want your money, or they're sending you to hell. ... ... ..... I read in the paper that the oceans are rising, ........... .... ........ To drown all this evil it should not be surprising.
licks2 6 years, 2 months ago
I would like to see how you would react if a legally or one totally "bat mess" blind man point a gun in your face and demand your life. . .or that of your wife or child or that of your neighbor's ! So stop your "knee-jerk" self-conceited diatribe. One of them pulled a gun while running from the police? So what do you expect. . ."move that blind man from behind you so I can shoot you for pointing that gun at me". . .the police should say to the driver of the bike? And just as there are some on the wrong side of the divide. . .there are some on the wrong side of the "common sense" thinking!
hrysippus 6 years, 2 months ago
Right. and all our politicians are honest and none of our police are crooked. What country are you living in anyway, or perhaps you are on the force yourself. At least have the decency to make your comments rhyme, it becomes more entertaining and doesn't take much time.
licks2 6 years, 2 months ago
Rhyme? Why? Take it back to PRE-K school. . .teach by rote? That style of teaching is good for pre-concept formation skills expressive tasks. . .but in this POST-concept formation skills environment concept exposition is better. . .don't you think? I thought we are in an "intellectual" reasoning community. . .not kindergarten group!
Porcupine 6 years, 2 months ago
Quiet licks. You are hurting the team every time you post your stupidity.
licks2 6 years, 2 months ago
I am not a DNA. . .so don't "push" me into yinna messy thinking group. . .Lol!
sheeprunner12 6 years, 2 months ago
It is a serious matter to see the open hostility that "ghetto people" have towards the Police ........ and to think that they are the very same ones that benefit from most of the RBPF resources and social outreach programs?????? ........... This equation seems so hypocritical and useless to many "normal citizens".
CatIslandBoy 6 years, 2 months ago
Members of the RBPF are known to fabricate explanations, plant drugs on innocent suspects, and, in some cases, even kill innocent people. So, I don't believe it is "ghetto" to have a bit of suspicion about their actions.
licks2 6 years, 2 months ago
And there are others in all organizations that "do things" all over the place! That's how this world is man. . .but on the other hand. . .THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THEM SAME ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T DO WRONGS AS YOU SUGGESTED! So what's ya point? See why I keep saying that the DNA need to "up they game" from the same ole politics. . ."keep showing one Andros yard chicken with a broke leg" to reasonably prove ALL
licks2 6 years, 2 months ago
Chief you need to just bow out here and let these other peoples them "take on this one" because you just een getting it right! It is just like you are showing us one Andros yard chicken with a broke leg to reasonable prove that all yard chicken that come from Andros have broke legs too! Lol!
viewersmatters 6 years, 2 months ago
I do understand the frustration, anger and pain of the family, friends and love one of the deceased. What I am trying to understand and what everyone else should be trying to understand is why was the driver trying to evade police? Base on the video footage it is clearly that officers had their lights and siren on and was in full uniform. What's very disturbing is after watching the decease getting shot off of the bike the driver still failed to stop or surrender or show some type remorse or something knowing the person on his bike had fell. To me I would blame the driver for this incident not the police because its not the police duty to wait or find out who is innocent or not but the main thing is base on the video footage the officers tried to engage those two individuals and the driver or (assumption) both men tried to evade police refusing to stop and some reason which isn't shown in the footage, officers open fire on those individuals and the driver knowing and seeing his passenger fell off the driver fail to stop. Why was the driver running and why didn't the driver tried to stop knowing and seeing police officer, flashing lights and uniform police?
Bonefishpete 6 years, 2 months ago
I See Said the Blind Man.
TRUTH1968 6 years, 2 months ago
Where is this supposive gun? Are we expected to believe that the motorcycle driver, obviously common sense would tell you he wasn’t the blind man, was able to flee on a motorcycle with a rider on the back and point a gun at the police at the same time? Please! Two hands are needed to operate a motorcycle and accelerate, especially with a rider on the back. If the rider had a gun and was shot dead by police I would expect the police to have the weapon in their possession. Something doesn’t smell right about this. The people have a right to be upset when police actions don’t match up with the circumstances that surround.
licks2 6 years, 2 months ago
Yes something is not right here. . .YA MIND IS CLOSED! Those fellas them ride them bikes with NO HANDS. . .PRANCE WITH RIDERS ON BACK. . .BALANCE ON THE FRONT WHEEL ONLY. . .RIGHT HERE IN NEW PROVIDENCE! By the way. . .assassinations from motor bikes is one of the most effective and over used methods in terrorists and South America's drug cartel attacks. . .google it!
TigerB 6 years, 2 months ago
Sometimes I get a kick out reading some of these comments, we sit back and make smart remarks. I just wonderin' how many of you go out there and wear the uniform to fight crime. You say you not interested, well you can assist in setting up a crime watch or something. But we do what Bahamians love to do, talk and criticize. When crime up we complain, when murders up we complain, when the police shoot them we complain, when the police don't shoot them we say they shudda shoot 'em. Chances are none of you was on that crime scene but we here commenting, maybe its time to stop complaining and try help...maybe. I don't stay in Nassau, we have the same problem here in Grand Bahama, everyone has firearms.. so stop runnin ya mouth if you not prepared to do sometin.
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