By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said yesterday he could not confirm if police officers had on body cams during a police-involved shooting on Saturday.

Mr Munroe’s comments came after an 18-year-old youth, who  allegedly engaged police in the Kemp Road area on Saturday, was killed by officers around 12.30am.

The family has disputed the police’s version of events and have asked to see CCTV from the area.

“I don’t know if they had on body cams. If they did we don’t release body cam footage until a trial or an inquest,” Mr Munroe told The Tribune.

Police said officers were on routine patrol in the area of Kemp Road and Edwards Avenue when they saw a man with a gun.

The suspect fled the area on foot after seeing the officers.

 Police pursued the suspect onto Hillbrook Close, where the man “engaged the police and was fatally wounded,” the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.

 EMS attended the scene where he was pronounced dead. Police said a weapon was recovered from the scene.

 The family of the 18-year-old, identified as Kwondrick Lowe, claimed he was wrongfully killed by police, dismissing reports that the 4’2” male engaged officers.

 When asked about the family’s claims, Mr Munroe said that if they did not witness the shooting first hand then they would not be able to fully say what happened.

 “It’s being asserted that there’s something wrongful. I didn’t witness it, so I don’t know. If the family witnessed it they can speak of firsthand accounts. If they didn’t witness it, then they would be in the exact same position as I am, not to know,” he said.

 He noted that if the police’s account of the fatal incident was revealed to be untrue then action would be taken.

 However, Mr Munroe said if the account from police is accurate it shows that young men in the country need to put guns down.

 “If it is true, then this is yet another lesson that the young men really have to put down these guns. If it is not true, then the police, as they have shown with the charging of the officer in Exuma and the officers in New Providence, will apply the law to everyone whether it’s a civilian or police.”

 In terms of the investigation, Mr Munroe said he still is awaiting a full briefing.

 Meanwhile, he explained how the investigation would usually work.

 “When something happens, the police will have to take statements from the officers involved. Statements from anyone who is on the scene who purports to be a witness. They will look for available camera footage, inclusive of any cell phone footage that members of the public may have and any camera footage members of the public might have.”

 He continued: “So after all of that is collected, the investigators will evaluate it and make a determination. If members of the public claim to have, for instance, cell phone footage. If they claim to have footage from any of their cameras, they’re free to provide that to the police.”

 Inquests into police involved shootings were initially delayed because of COVID-19 in 2020.

 Later, former Coroner Jeanine Weech-Gomez was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice, causing further delays as officials waited to replace her.

 Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux was named acting coroner in September 2021.

 However, while inquests into other matters are already being carried out, they have not yet resumed into police-involved killings because the director of public prosecutions has yet to appoint a lawyer to marshal the cases.