By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

OFFICE of the Prime Minister director of communications Latrae Rahming said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis would “have a conversation with the commissioner of police” if the pattern of adverse inquest findings against officers in police-involved killing cases continues.

Jurors in the Coroner’s Court have returned four homicide by manslaughter findings against police in the last year. Relatives of the men killed in the incidents are, in most cases, impatiently waiting for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to say whether any officer will be charged with a crime in the matters.

During yesterday’s weekly press briefing, Mr Rahming said: “I want to begin by saying the prime minister is an advocate for justice.”

“He believes in accountability, regardless of the persons involved in the matter.

“I think what it is, this is a vindication that there’s a system of justice that works, and I think that the government intends to make sure that the courts that oversee these matters get the resources they need. So, his view is that he is an advocate for justice and where there is wrongdoing, that person should be held accountable regardless of who they are.”

Inquests do not determine criminal liability. Relatives of those killed are continuing their pursuit of justice.

Once rare, adverse findings against police have become more frequent. In addition to homicide by manslaughter, jurors could return findings of justifiable homicide or homicide by murder.

The most recent manslaughter finding came on Tuesday at the end of the inquest into the deaths of Richard “Buddy” Bastian and Harold “Kevin” Brown, who were killed on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway around 1am on December 2, 2017.

In August, jurors returned the same finding in the case of Deangelo Evans, who was killed on Sandy Lane in Mason’s Addition on May 27, 2018.

In May, jurors returned a manslaughter finding in the case of Azario Major, who police killed outside Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail Road on December 26, 2021.

A week later, the police-involved killing of Shanton Forbes was also ruled a homicide by manslaughter.

 Some killings have been found to be justified. In December, for example, jurors concluded police were justified in killing Royal Bahamas Defence Force leading seaman Rodney Adderley, Jr, on Dunmore Avenue on January 10, 2022. That was one of four justified homicide findings that jurors made last year.