THREE HELD AFTER COP SHOT IN FACE: CSP Skippings says ‘we are actually waging war to take back this Bahamas’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THREE people are in custody after an island-wide search following the shooting of a police officer in his face yesterday morning. 

The incident took place during a routine patrol of Robinson Road. Officers with Operation Ceasefire were patrolling the area when they saw three men speeding west in a black Nissan Note.

When they signalled with their lights for the vehicle to stop, a passenger in the back seat of the car allegedly fired at them, shooting an officer in a police cruiser in his face.

The 31-year-old officer was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.

Chief Superintendent of Police Michael Johnson said an aggressive, island-wide search began, leading to three men being detained in custody in connection with the incident. Officers found the Nissan Note in Garden Hills near a track road by a community park. With help from officers of the K9 Unit, police discovered a large quantity of suspected marijuana in the area, in addition to the car. 

Two of the suspects who are now in custody are on bail for other offences. One is being electronically monitored in connection with a murder charge.

CSP Johnson expressed concern about escalating crimes committed by people on bail.

“They continue to offend although being on bail and continue to offend for the same type of serious matter that they are on bail for,” he said, adding: “We will not be discouraged.”

CSP Johnson couldn’t give data on the number of injuries police officers have sustained on duty in recent years, but said the Robinson Road shooting is the most severe incident they have had this year.

CSP Chrislyn Skippings issued a warning to criminals.

“We will not tolerate your behaviour, we will not,” she said during a brief press conference on Robinson Road. 

“We will not tolerate you seeking to engage police officers who are authorised to protect the citizens of this great country. When you seek to engage police officers, I can say to you police officers are qualified to have the necessary training which could likely result in someone who seeks to engage the police being fatally wounded.  

“We are going to be resolute, we are going to be firm, we are not tolerating this type of behaviour and you will see an aggressive approach on criminals. We are actually waging war on the criminals to take back this Bahamas. We will not tolerate it.”  

Before a Cabinet meeting yesterday, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe also discussed the incident.

“The public should know, as the commissioner has said, that saturation patrol is the strategy the police are using. That will mean the police will come into contact, more likely than not, with people who are up to no good, up to menacing our society,” he said.

 “We continue to say and this is an example that the police, when threatened with lethal force, will respond with lethal force, and these people who decide that they want to be menaces to our society, the only line between us and them is the police.  

 “And so I encourage the public to look at this whole thing in the context that the more patrol vehicles we put on the streets, the more likely police are to come across these persons who are wreaking havoc and that will increase the likelihood of confrontation between them and police.”  

Comments

Sickened says...

A few more bails and attempted murder charges for these individuals and our kangaroo courts may actually start to consider these violent individuals as a risk to public safety. Maybe.

Posted 29 March 2023, 9:20 a.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

Is it just me or is there something very fishy about violent crime and judges being soft of criminals. Can't put my finger on it. In the movies it would boil down to bribery or blackmail or maybe threats of harm on the judges family members. It isn't usually that the judges are just morons or completely disconnected from society or that they truly believe that God should be the only one to judge or punish someone.

Posted 29 March 2023, 9:24 a.m. Suggest removal

bahamianson says...

You are not waging war , the war started a long time ago. You are responding to the aggressor.

Posted 29 March 2023, 9:41 a.m. Suggest removal

KapunkleUp says...

Wait for it... the next incident press statement will be that they have now 'declared war on crime'.

Posted 29 March 2023, 9:57 a.m. Suggest removal

mandela says...

We need a new jail immediately. The problem as I see it is space, The prison is currently bursting at the seams and the judge, re-offenders and new offenders know this, so instead of having to cram more criminals in the already crammed cells and remand areas they give out bail to a 6-time murder accused. With more jail space, criminals can be housed satisfactorily for the law stated 3 yrs., out of the way while they are waiting for trial. Imagine 200 - 300 new cells each able to host 5 criminals, that is 1000 to 1500 off the streets, away from society on vacation. This will surely make a difference and result in peace on the streets.

Posted 29 March 2023, 10:24 a.m. Suggest removal

Bobsyeruncle says...

^ This.

Posted 29 March 2023, 4:31 p.m. Suggest removal

cx says...

Need to do what El Salvador did with their new prison. Build it then sweep and get everyone on bail or suspected. Their crime rate dropped in half after they did that with their crazy ass gangs.

Posted 29 March 2023, 4:55 p.m. Suggest removal

DWW says...

TURN LEFT ON RED wait no! don't turn left on red... the systemic issues run deep in this not-so-god-fearing country.

Posted 29 March 2023, 1:18 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Advice to Comrade "Sister" CSP Chrislyn Skippings and her fellow khaki wearing uniform colleagues. ---- "Stop doing policing things that --- **should** demand an --- **independent Inquiry" --- Yes?

Posted 29 March 2023, 1:21 p.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

I disagree. The police shootings are the only justice the citizens of The Bahamas are getting at the moment. Every other facet of law enforcement, judiciary and politics is a complete failure.
We can't hang them we can't even get them to be put behind bars. The small time thieves are the only ones getting locked up.
The only option is for police to double tap the worst of the worst. My only prayer is that the hand of god guide the bullets to the skulls of the criminals so that no innocent's get injured. PRAISE HIM!!!

Posted 29 March 2023, 2:07 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

A 28 y/o transgender woman shoots up a Christian school, killing six people including three children. Police are called to assist in transporting a patient with mental issues to a mental institution. Despite the patient being subdued and handcuffed and shackled, the sheriffs deputies pin the patient on the floor and all seven of them pile up on him. SEVEN adult bodies piled up on a mental patient until he is no longer responsive. He is dead. Earlier this week a man was charged with the murder of three individuals and the attempted murders of two others. A adult male was found shot to death and his body burned. And three young men is now being charged with shooting and probably attempted murder of s police officer. Where did this murder come from almost four decades ago and how long will it continue on? Some say violence will increase even more and more and until the end of time. Mothers will continue to wail and pull their hair out over their dead sons, the earth will continue to open up and swallow pools and pools of innocent blood. And the spouses and families of police officers will continue to have to pray and have sleepless nights and even restless days when police officers go to work.

Posted 29 March 2023, 4:50 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

REMEMBER : iT wAS NOT Bahamian court’s decision to grant bail to persons accused of murder and multiple murders even. That decision was forced on this country by International ( human) rights organizations. Bail was not granted to persons accused of murder, attempted murder and violent personal assaults or rape. And the frequency of these incidents were minimal. It was NOT this country’s decision to do away with the death penalty. Again it was on the country as being ‘barbaric and inhumane’. And when the death penalty was in effect, murder was not a prevalent crime in this country. So it’s not barbaric and inhumane for a population to have to live under the fear of murder? Separate yourself from the world, O BaHAMAS

Posted 30 March 2023, 5:58 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

And ever since this country decided to align itself with the US form of policing, ( military style and assaulting the public) crime and especially violent crime and murder escalated. The leaders and police were ignorant to the fact that this type of policing was founded in racism and only designed to be used against Black Americans or Black people visiting America. It was designed to evoke a violent or resistive response that would result in the suspect(s) being arrested or even being ) legally) murdered at the hands of the police. See evidence all over the US news today. And it started back in the 1970’s-80’s when the Ku Klux Klan changed their tactics to include having their members join police forces with the specific purposes of bringing harm, harassment, carnage and murder to Black people, and the leadership of this country police force took the bait and followed suit. Imagine going to high school sporting events and other cultural events back in the 1980’s and seeing police walking around in military gear with assault rifles . Then came the prevalence and culture of guns. Basically ALL AMo MADE! And if they are your weapons and your ammunition, not only in The BaHAMAS, but all over Sout and Central America and the Caribbean, then you must know how ya tings getting in these countries. But now you have the problem of gun violence in ya own country. An average of one mass shooting every .75 of a week. Now you feel the pain. No maybe you will find common sense ( though it is not your nature) and join forces and make a genuine effort to end gun violence

Posted 30 March 2023, 6:21 a.m. Suggest removal

truetruebahamian says...

Perhaps subjugation of any group rather than the tired worn out racism card that is so gleefully played today in the Bahamas.

Posted 30 March 2023, 8:46 a.m. Suggest removal

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