BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - A man is currently warded at the JNF General Hospital after sustaining gunshot injuries during a high speed chase with police in the Canada Estate area last night (Jan. 19).
The man, whose identity was not disclosed by the police, was shot twice by the lawmen who came under fire while pursuing him and an accomplice on a reportedly stolen scooter.
On arrival at the scene sometime after 11:00 p.m., SKNVibes observed that the area was cordoned by members of the Police and Defence Forces.
Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Crime, Ian Queeley, who was also present at the scene, told this media house that he had just arrived and would have to gather information before making a statement.
“All I know thus far is that a man has been shot and apparently he was shot by the police. I am willing to speak to the media as soon as I would have gathered additional information,” Queeley said.
However, some 50 minutes later, Police Press and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Inspector Vaughan Henderson told this media house that about 10:30 p.m. police officers were engaged in an investigation involving a stolen scooter.
“Our investigation led them in hot pursuit of a scooter that they suspected to be stolen in the area of Insta Tyre World. While in pursuit, the scooter at the time had a rider and a pillion rider and the police came under gunfire from the occupants, which led them to return fire.
“The chase ended on the main road leading to the Quarry in Canada Estate, where the occupants of the scooter fell when they made a left turn to escape the police. The occupants of the scooter then ran up the road and the police started chasing. The police captured one of the occupants and is in search of the other. The captured occupant had gunshot injuries to his left leg and his left wrist,” Henderson said.
He further said that the police had retrieved a firearm at the scene and informed that no licence plate was affixed to the scooter.
“One 9mm pistol was also recovered by the police in the area where the occupants fell off the scooter and the injured occupant was transported to the JNF Hospital by the EMS,” he added.
Inspector Henderson noted that investigations were being conducted at the time and promised that an official release would be disseminated shortly.
