With numerous extra-judicial killings and shootings, since the PLP took over as government, the police are now demanding that citizens give up their rights and submit to the police on demand or apparently risk being shot on sight.
In another sign of New Providence’s alarming shift towards a “Wild West” mentality, another extra-judicial shooting of a man by police has prompted officers to warn suspects “not to challenge” law enforcement officers.
Police Press Officer Hulan Hanna said a 17-year-old was shot in the neck when he allegedly drew a weapon on police yesterday morning.
Police had received a call that two men wearing white shirts and white face masks and armed with a handgun attempted to rob a man in the area of Plantol Street shortly after 2:00am.
Police in the area saw two men fitting the decription and tried to approach them to question them in relation to the matter.
A chase followed and when the two men reached Plantol Street, one of the men turned on police and allegedly drew a weapon.
Mr. Hanna said that the officers, fearing for their lives, fired on the suspect hitting him in the neck. The second man fled the scene. Mr. Hanna said the teenager is being treated at Princess Maragaret Hospital and is under police guard.
It is not clear why officers shot the man in the neck, instead of shooting to disarm, as police officers are trained to do. Investigatons into several previous extra-judicial shootings have indicated that the suspects were shot in the back, making it difficult for police to explain their actions as self-defense.
Last week, Assistant Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames, who is under pressure for failures related to the Inagua – Defense Force drug stealing incident, defended the actions of his officers following the extra-judicial shootings by police of three men in recent weeks.
“Officers have to use whatever force is necessary,” said Mr. Dames in relation to the shooting of Drexel Rolle and two others in separate incidents in New Providence.
Yesterday, Mr. Hanna noted that there appears to be an increasing number of people in Nassau attempting to challenge police. He said while police do not go looking for hostility, they will respond to anyone who threatens the welfare of police officers and law-abiding citizens.
He said police have been trained to “neutralize a hostile environment”. While police do not necessarily aim to kill, he said anything can happen in a hostile setting.
Mr. Hanna said before police are issued firearms, they receive training in precision shooting and undergo evaluations to ensure they can maintain their composure and make good judgements in a crisis. In light of the recent spate of extra-judicial shootings many are now questioning if that training is sufficient.
