Allegedly…East versus West
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Amidst the loud chatter of patrons and the high-pitched music that emanated from speaker boxes in Independence Square last night (Nov. 12) during the launch of Nu Vybes Band’s Troupes for the 2010 Carnival, a single shot ran out and sent many people scampering for cover.
On arrival at the scene, SKNVibes learnt that members of two rival gangs had an altercation, in which one man was seen running behind a group of men with an object in his hand that appeared to be a firearm.
One eyewitness claimed that “it was rival gangs at war…east versus west. I don’t know how it start but what I see was a guy from the east pull out a bottle of red wine from his back pocket and was chasing after some guys dressed in black from the west. I guess they believe it was a gun and they run up Bank Street. I later learn that some guys from the east throw some rocks on a black car that belong to those guys from the west and damage the windscreen”.
Further investigations by this media house revealed that the black car was a Nissan brand with registration number P8047. Both front and back windscreens were damaged and also the left front window. A large stone was seen resting on the front windscreen, a number of smaller ones atop the vehicle and some empty bottles on the back seat.
When contacted, Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Vaughan Henderson said, “At about 7:47 p.m. on Friday, November 12, 2010, while members of the Special Forces Unit and the Anti-Gang Unit were on routine patrol in the vicinity of Independence Square and Bank Street where a function was held, they observed a number of persons running and a closer examination revealed that there was a gang fight taking place.
“Police observed a young man chasing another with a shiny object in his hand, which appeared to be a firearm. In an effort to prevent any injury, one of the officers discharged a round of ammunition from his service revolver in a safe area and members of the rival gangs fled in opposite directions.”
Inspector Henderson also said a number of persons were taken into custody assisting police with their investigations. He further said, “During the altercation, a black Nissan vehicle (P8047), jointly owned by Kenya Francis of Temple Alley and Craig Halliday of Malone Avenue, was maliciously damaged.
SKNVibes however learnt that one of the owners, Francis, was neither the driver of nor was he in the vehicle at the time of the incident. He was later summoned and was seen in Bank Street, where the vehicle was parked, shortly after members of the Criminal Investigation Department had made enquiries and taken pictures of it.
This media house also learnt that while the vehicle was driven to the Basseterre Police Station where statements were taken from the occupants, two individuals from Newtown were apprehended and taken to Cayon Police Station to assist the police with their investigations into the matter.
