The Tribune

AN “act of bravery” by a police officer who “jumped into action and foiled an armed robbery” resulted in two armed men being shot and taken into custody on Sunday, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.

Police also shot another suspected armed robber after a car chase in the Nassau Village area on Saturday night.

Shortly after 4am on Sunday, a police officer was driving in the area of a club located on East Street near the Independence Highway, when he saw one of two masked men armed with a handgun holding a man at bay, police said.

As a result, the officer parked his vehicle a short distance away and walked in the area and announced that he was a cop. The man with the gun began firing at the officer and the officer returned fire with his police issued firearm shooting both suspects, the RBPF said.

A .40 pistol with several live rounds of ammunition was recovered from the suspects.

The victim, who was shot during the exchange of gunfire, was taken to hospital where he remains in stable condition.

The two suspects were also taken to hospital where they are detained in stable condition under heavy police guard.

Police are also searching for several armed robbery suspects who committed a string of crimes over the weekend.

Shortly before 10pm on Saturday, a man had just arrived at his home off Charles Saunders Highway with a woman friend when two men in a silver coloured Honda, armed with handguns, approached.

The couple was robbed of two cell phones before the robbers sped off.

Then, shortly after 11 o’clock that same night, a woman had just pulled up to her home in Kennedy Subdivision in her white 2003 Nissan Primera, car license number 293098, when two men in a silver coloured Toyota, armed with handguns, approached. The gunmen robbed her of a cell phone, cash, two passports and her vehicle before speeding off.

A short while later, responding officers spotted a vehicle fitting the description of the stolen vehicle in the Nassau Village area driving at high speed. The officers pursued the vehicle, which crashed a short distance away. A male who emerged from the vehicle engaged the police with an object and was shot. The suspect was taken to hospital where he is detained in stable condition under heavy police guard.

Police also said a man was robbed shortly after 1am on Saturday as he walked on Baillou Hill Road. Two men approached the victim and robbed him of his wallet before fleeing on foot.

And just before 1am on Saturday, a man was about to enter his home located on St Margaret’s Road, when two men armed with a handgun robbed him of his cell phone and a set of keys before fleeing on foot.

Later that evening, shortly after 10pm, two men armed with handguns robbed a service station located on East Street and Soldier Road of an undetermined amount of cash before fleeing on foot.

Police also said a woman was robbed shortly before 2pm on Friday, January 15, as she was walking near a business on Madeira Street. A gunman approached and robbed her of cash before fleeing on foot.

Police have also arrested three men – two from Exuma – in connection with armed robbery investigations.

On Saturday, police in Exuma along with officers from the Central Detective Unit, arrested two men suspected of robbing a business on that island on January 14.

On Friday, officers from the Selective Enforcement Team arrested a man in connection with several robberies in New Providence.

Investigations into these matters continue.