By RIEL MAJOR

Tribune Staff Reporter 

rmajor@tribunemedia.net

POLICE in New Providence are investigating the circumstances surrounding an officer-involved shooting that left a suspected armed robber dead yesterday.

Police said a firearm as well as suspected stolen property were recovered from the suspect.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash said shortly after 5am, police control room received a 911 call reporting two armed robberies that occurred at Hospital Lane, Baillou Hill Road and Rodgers Corner.

CSP Cash said: “Our dispatching unit responded to this 911 call, they spoke with both victims who gave the officers information relative to the incident. They were further directed to an area where the suspected person ran, those officers proceeded to that area where they saw an individual fitting the description given to them by both victims.

“As they engaged the suspect, he ran along several streets which ended up in the Lewis and East Street area. The suspect ran across East Street east onto the property behind me. Once the officers again engaged the suspects behind the building, the suspect pulled a weapon and the officers, being in fear of their life, they engaged the suspect, opened fire (and) fatally shot the suspect.”

He added: “I can tell you (based on) the crime scene that there were several bits of properties that were found on the suspected individual that we suspect came from both victims. We also recovered an alleged firearm that was found in possession of the suspect.”

CSP Cash said the suspect appeared to be in his early 20s but could not say if the man was known to police. 

He said officers were able to respond so quickly because they are “strategically placed throughout New Providence.”

CSP Cash said: “When you have issues like this, our officers are there in the area ready to respond to such incidents and you can see that played out this morning. The officers stuck to our strategy, they are placed in strategic areas and as a result of that they were able to bring this matter to closing.

“Her Majesty’s coroner visited this scene and will continue investigations into this matter.”

According to The Tribune’s records, there have been five fatal police shootings this year.

In May, the police killed three men during a shoot-out at a home off Eastern Road.

The deceased men were Jamal Penn aka “Foolish”, Valentino Pratt aka “T-boy” and Trever Cooper aka “Coopz”.

In February, the first police involved shooting occurred in a shanty town located in the Joe Farrington Road area when a man was shot after he allegedly attempted to attack an officer with a silver coloured knife.

The Tribune understands the deceased was Ben Joseph, however his identity was not released by police.