Marc Charles’ death on Friday night was the eleventh time someone has been killed this year in a police-involved shooting.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
IN the the fifth police-involved killing in a month, police shot and killed a man Friday after he allegedly opened fire at them.
During the man’s attempt to evade apprehension, police said, he collided into a vehicle, exited his car and fired a shot in the direction of the officers.
“Officers being in fear for their lives returned fire,” Assistant Commissioner Clayton Fernander said. “The individual ran a short distance where he collapsed. A weapon was recovered — a pistol fully loaded — from that scene.”
Police said they had issued a bulletin earlier Friday for a sky blue Nissan Bluebird self-drive – or rental – vehicle with two suspicious looking men seen in the Palmdale area.
Police later encountered the men and their vehicle around 7pm in the Homestead and Minnie Streets area when the chaos erupted.
A .45 Austria Glock pistol and a magazine with ammunition was recovered from the scene, police said.
The other passenger in the car was arrested.
He said the rash of recent police-involved killings reflect increased aggressiveness of suspects toward authorities.
“I must praise the officers because they are on the alert,” he said. “We want to give God the thanks for guiding us and for keeping us safe that the shoe was on the other foot because it could’ve been different.”
He said police have “emptied all of the offices from police headquarters down to the divisions” and are out on the scene.
The coroner and her team visited the scene.
The deceased has been identified as Marc Charles.
The scene of the incident drew numerous onlookers, including several mourners who hollered out.
“That’s my brother,” one woman screamed. “I want to see him. These sissy police take him down. I woulda been happy if the streets took him.”
Meanwhile Mona Barr, the mother of one of Mr Charles’ daughters, contested the police version of events yesterday, insisting there are eyewitnesses who could contradict police claims.
Mr Charles had two other children, she said, a one-year-old and a ten-month-old baby girl.
Comments
John 6 years, 4 months ago
Well at least murders for the period from November to now are down very significantly. And if persons want to engage the police in gun battle then may the law take it's course. Is the number five of six that have lost the battle with police in recent gunfights? As police disband the gangs and theft rings persons are running scared. But yet some are desperate. Hopefully this is the bottom of the barrel and murders for 2018 will be down by more than 50%. Hopefully!
SP 6 years, 4 months ago
Many thanks to the red-stripes (cops) for expeditiously dispatching this low life hoodlum! We can avoid all the wasted money on incarceration, the courts time and the blah blah debate about the death penalty if red-stripes simply blow away anyone that shots a gun at them.
Well done & keep it up!
sheeprunner12 6 years, 4 months ago
The mothers and baby-mamas who benefit from these thugs better tell them to quit and find a decent lawful job ...... The Police need to shoot every one of these thugs on first sight ......... No need to drag the courts through these meaningless cases for them to be given bail again and let the crime cycle continue ........#breakthecrimecycle
EasternGate 6 years, 4 months ago
I have absolutely no sympathy for these miscreants. Blow their useless asses away!
mandela 6 years, 4 months ago
Yes excellent, at least that person won't be a menace to society, if persons are so lawless and can't, don't want to respect law and order, we don't need them in our society, good riddance
John 6 years, 4 months ago
Still curious why the commodore of the Defense Force was asked to stand down from patrolling the western coast of New Providence (where all the rich folks live). What exactly was going on out there? Was some type of smuggling operation going on that was supplying guns among other things to fuel crimes in the country? A known fact is many people that live behind the gates despise local Bahamians to the bone and love to see them killing each other while they secretly plot to steal the country. And some also have their drugs and substance abuse problems. Only they could afford it.
Dawes 6 years, 4 months ago
Looks like you need a tin foil hat.
John 6 years, 4 months ago
The government must seek to end the great (man made) depression that has plagued this country since 2008 and bring relief to the masses of Bahamian people. Stop listening to these clowns who are pushing you to tax Bahamians even more whilst they t’oef our sand, our salt, our aragonite, our gold, fly through our airspace without compensation. Our gold even. Yes they bring it here as ‘fine, high jewelry then come buy it back as scrap gold for pennies of the dollar. Gold is never scrap. The country also has to deal with white collar criminals and their crimes.
DDK 6 years, 4 months ago
Too bad these 'fathers' don't stay home with their families. The fact that they are capable of fathering children does not make them saints or any less criminally dangerous than they are. Still no cop cameras?
jamaicaproud 6 years, 4 months ago
'im innocent, him neva duh nutting. Is a good yute. 'im used to 'elp di ole peopel dem. Whatever man, Shottas must go.
Socrates 6 years, 4 months ago
if you open fire on the police, you get what you deserve. i congratulate these officers on their excellent marksmanship and wish them all the best.. keep up the good work and make the Bahamas great again...
Greentea 6 years, 4 months ago
We need to deal with crime, but are we ok with the police being a hit squad? These dudes just coming back with bigger guns armed for war. I saw this for two reasons- a few things bother me about this story: 1. "the fifth police-involved killing in a month" 2. For someone in a shoot out with the police- the assumption being both parties were shooting at each other, that the deceased was found with a "fully loaded pistol" is sorta curious no?
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