BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PANDEMONIUM broke loose in Springfield Cemetery this afternoon (Mar. 6) after a shot was allegedly fired by a policeman during a fight between rival gang members.
On arrival at the scene, SKNVibes observed a squad of armed soldiers in the cemetery and a number of police officers, including Commissioner Walwyn, standing among a group of civilians on the roadway next to the Governor-General’s residence.
Speaking with some female residents of St. Johnson Village who claimed to have witnessed the incident, this media house was told that one Gavin Whyte, who was attending Miguel ‘Bashment’ Robinson’s funeral, was attacked and beaten by members of a gang in McKnight.
“Gavin went to Bashment funeral and some members of a gang from McKnight attacked him. He tried to defend himself by pelting them with rocks but they got the better of him and he started to run away.
“All the while, three police officers in plain clothes were standing and watching what was going on but they did nothing. However, when Gavin started to run the McKnight men chase after him and one of the officers took out his gun and fire a shot at Gavin, but it didn’t hit him. That officer had to be a mad man to fire his gun in an area where there were innocent mourners. He should be disciplined!” one resident said.
The St. Johnson’s residents were very irate and claimed that it seemed as if the officer (name provided) wanted to shoot Whyte.
They also alleged that the police are “always harassing Gavin” and that they had recently beaten him in St. Johnson Village.
“Between 10:30 and 11 o’clock on the morning of Friday the 24th of February, Gavin and two other boys were in a house behind the St. Johnson Police Station. A bus load of officers arrived there and held them. They took them out of the house and started to rough them up. Then they took Gavin back in the house and beat him.
“Shortly after that they brought him out of the house and dragged him to the bus by his hair. They kicked him many times to all parts of his body and only stopped when many people in the village objected to their brutality.
“One of the officers said they were searching for guns, ammunition and drugs. They didn’t find any in the house or on the boys, so they put them in the bus and drove away. After about 15 minutes they brought them back into the village without charging them. But everyone could have seen the marks of violence on Gavin’s body,” another resident said.
Meanwhile, a female, who had attended the same funeral, said she saw when the fight was taking place but ran out of the cemetery after hearing the report of gunfire.
“I saw when the altercation was taking place, but when I heard the gunfire I started running towards the army camp. Most of the mourners were also running and some people fell to the ground and sustained bruises, including an aged woman. It seems as though it is not safe to even go to a funeral nowadays.”
