A still from the video showing the fight outside the bar in Guana Cay, Abaco.
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A FIGHT involving second homeowners and Bahamians outside a bar on Guana Cay, Abaco, has highlighted the community’s lack of law enforcement officers.
Johnny Roberts, owner of Nippers Beach Bar and Grill, said the lack of security threatens to derail the island’s efforts to rebound after Hurricane Dorian and the pandemic.
He spoke to The Tribune after a video showing a fight between American second homeowners and Bahamians went viral.
The brawl happened in Nippers’ parking lot on Sunday, according to Mr Roberts.
In the nearly 30-second clip, a Caucasian man can be seen fighting off several Bahamian men while a woman purported to be with him is punched and dragged by her hair by another woman.
Police Superintendent Will Hart, the officer in charge of the Abaco division, said: “Outside the establishment, because of the crowd by Nippers, it was crowded so golf carts were everywhere, but as persons were trying to ascertain who owns what golf cart, there was an American girl out there and a verbal altercation occurred between a native, but it got physical and the father of that girl got into it and pulled the native off of his daughter.”
“That is when persons in the nearby area, the natives then attacked the father so we have information of who these persons are.”
He said police want to question the Bahamians involved to determine what led to the fight, adding: “Shortly they’ll be in custody.”
Mr Roberts said he was not present when the fight happened. He blamed the people blocking access to the establishment’s exit for the incident.
“They’re second homeowners,” he said. “It was the grandmother, her son-in-law, his wife and their daughter were parked and these golf carts were blocking up the way to get out and they would not move to let the people out and the husband kept asking for the guys to move and they weren’t moving and I don’t know how this came about, but the daughter was kind of like saying ‘come please can you move’ and two girls walked up and punched her and that started the whole thing.”
“By the time I got down here, the fight was over but everybody was still yelling and screaming back and forth at each other and you know there was some Bahamian people there that was able to get everything under control.”
Mr Roberts said the situation prompted him to erect signs outside his establishment that say: “There’s no soliciting on my property.”
“Since Dorian, there’s a whole bunch of illegals that have moved into the northern part of The Bahamas to seek work and everything else,” he said, “and so what’s happened is on Sundays, the illegals are getting golf carts and they’re trying to pick up people to bring them to my establishment and charge them and take them back and charge them like taxis which they are not licensed to do and I’m not authorising them to do it.”
“I’m not going to say where these illegals come from because as far as I’m concerned, what I see over here is we’re getting them from every nation.”
The Abaco business owner said the lack of law enforcement officers on Guana Cay, home to some 1,000 people, has also not helped the situation.
“We have no police officers on Great Guana Cay,” he said. “Great Guana Cay is the largest island in the chain of outer islands in Abaco. It’s the fastest growing island in the Abacos and we’re the only island that have no police.”
“The government and the immigration needs to come and deal with it. The amount of tax money I’m paying into the system myself is enough for three or four cops to live out here and plus buy him a house to live in. Even if you only have one because presence makes all the difference in the world.”
Supt Hart said officers were stationed on the island before Hurricane, Dorian but were displaced by the storm.
“We’re trying now to negotiate to get a residence and a station in Guana Cay,” he said.
As for concerns about undocumented migrants on Guana Cay, Supt Hart said he had not received complaints about this.
Comments
mandela 10 months, 2 weeks ago
The white boy was holding his own even after being taken down. He is lucky. If the incident happened as reported, these second-time homeowners must understand " When in Rome do as the Romains do" When they leave their homes and belongings and return to their respective countries their homes and belongings are at the mercy of the Islanders and with little to no police presence their best bet is to behave and sit small.
JokeyJack 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Wow - nice attitude. Your cart is blocked? Shut up and sit small. Don't come here cause we don't care about you at all and in fact we might abuse your home when you leave. Do you work for the Ministry of Tourism ?
BMW 10 months, 1 week ago
Jack I agree with you mandelas' attitude is typical of these people who have no social upbringing,no education, all I see here is pack mentality, kinda like a pack of wild dogs.
BMW 10 months, 1 week ago
Jack I agree with you mandelas' attitude is typical of these people who have no social upbringing,no education, all I see here is pack mentality, kinda like a pack of wild dogs.
ExposedU2C 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Your Haitian roots are too apparent.
JokeyJack 10 months, 2 weeks ago
LOL. As i told Tal below, you can have as much illegal behaviour and violence as you wish. This is a free country and the people can provide money and food to anyone they want to live here. Free food? Free housing? Sounds like a deal. Many will come from all over the world. Bahamians moving to Canada.
bahamianson 10 months, 2 weeks ago
The white boy? Dont you find that offensive? People say there is racism in the united states, but there is definitely Racism in the Bahamas. You don't get to complain about it in the US and come home calling individuals, "White Boy", unacceptable!
Sickened 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I very glad that nobody got shot or stabbed. With our local imbeciles they usually pull out a weapon when they get beat down like that. They were like a pack of wild dogs. That one guy sneaking up and still getting smacked in the head. You know his gal left him after that shameful performance. LOL!
TalRussell 10 months, 2 weeks ago
...Well, yes, ---- Doesn't they have a PLP House-elected MP,. who says --- They're the sovereign premiership over Abacos' Out Islands, Cays, Towns and Settlements. --- Leaves little space for a --- Barman's Owner --- Acting' out as --- 'The monarch of the Abacos'. --- When one king at a time is Abacos, sufficient enough.
JokeyJack 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Tal, as much illegal stuff as you want you will get. Eventually the Bahamas will be exactly like Haiti. ANY country that you fill with persons from another country will take on it's characteristics.
If you chase all the people out of New Zealand and will it with Irish persons, then New Zealand will look and feel and lot like Ireland. This is not rocket science. Bahamians have a choice (as do Haitians) to look at Haiti and decided if they want the Bahamas to be the same. Seriously - it is a simple choice yes or now and it is my true wish that people get whatever they want - that is democracy.
TalRussell 10 months, 2 weeks ago
@ComradeJokey, didn't the former RedShirts, two House-elected mps', --- Not know a --- Clogging was but a general election away, --- For the exact very same things --- You've above so capabbly highlighted. --- Note, as God is my witness, --- The article read, --- 'That the BarOwner said, the fight broke out between the visitors and Bahamians', ---('Not Haitians'?)
JokeyJack 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Nothing about Haitians. Haitians are people good and bad like any people. My point is that as we approach a majority of non-Bahamians in this country (some estimate by April of next year), the culture will be non-Bahamian. It doesn't matter if they are Canadians or Egyptians. The point is that Bahamian culture and history will be dead. Some claim the flights arrive nightly.
stillwaters 10 months, 2 weeks ago
.
stillwaters 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Illegal immigrants freely running an illegal golf/taxi service and nobody sees anything wrong with that, but any little Bahamian business has to go through hurdles to get a licence and is being taxed to the limit.
JokeyJack 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Why are Bahamians still living in Abaco??? Weren't they ordered to sell their homes and send the money to Ukraine ? LOL
bahamianson 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Tell them about the prostitutes next to the police station on westbay. They are waiting for the plp to hold a referendum, we vote no, and they still make it legal.this country is shameful.
JokeyJack 10 months, 2 weeks ago
"In the nearly 30-second clip, a Caucasian man can be seen fighting off several Bahamian men while a woman purported to be with him is punched and dragged by her hair by another woman."
Say, Bahamian men, LOL LOL LOL. Wow.
birdiestrachan 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Officer Hart knows nothing there in lies the problem , he is waiting for someone to complain he should have the way and means to find out , look around listen
birdiestrachan 10 months, 2 weeks ago
It has not been verified that those fighting were Haitians , but they can build shanty towns , the laws seems not to apply to them, I hope the Bahamas does not become like Haiti , but it just may,
Porcupine 10 months, 1 week ago
Lovely. Absolutely lovely.
BMW 10 months, 1 week ago
To the Super, Dorian was and will have taken place almost 4 years ago. My my.
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 1 week ago
Possibly 3 groups. The 2nd home owner, black tourists and the persons operating the golf carts. By now a reasonable law enforcement investigative team should have been able to provide a fact based update. Shame on us
If the white gentleman did not start that fight and was simply defending himself, that guy who picked him up and slammed him on his back could be in for a very very very large lawsuit.
TalRussell 10 months, 1 week ago
Such was the incident took place outside the Barman's establishment, --- Just proves on September 16, 2021 --- Abacoians's --- Rightly dumped their two House-elected mps' --- But for the two wrong replacement mps'.--- Comrade Roscoe Thompson 111 to the rescue.
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