Oliver Knight Vehicle Fire Confirmed as Arson
~~Adz:Left~~Basseterre, St. Kitts (January 11, 2008): The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force High Command has concluded that the vehicle fire at the home of the Manager of the Electoral Office Mr. Oliver Knight was indeed an act of arson. This is according to Acting Police Commissioner Austin Williams.
Fire Chief Hester Rawlins described arson as the unlawful and malicious setting of fire to any property. He explained that based on available evidence, the police have concluded that arson took place on the property of Mr. Knight. Rawlins said that he was unable to go into details in order not to be prejudicial to the investigation which is ongoing.
Mr. Knight’s place of work, the St. Kitts and Nevis Electoral Office, Church Street, Basseterre has also recently been the scene of much disruption. Persons associated with the People’s Action Movement have entered the premises and demanded unscheduled meetings causing angry disruptions.
Pertaining to fires in general, Fire Station Officer, Mr. Everette O’Garro said that, in general, when Fire Services Officers respond to a call, they look for certain telltale signs of arson.
He said that this can include clues like the strong scent of fuel accelerants. O’Garro said that in the case of Molotov cocktails, there may be broken bottles or partially burnt rags. However, considering that the case was still under investigation he was unable to reveal what exactly was found at the Knight residence.
Mr. O’Garro stated that Fire Services Officers have the chief responsibility of extinguishing fires and rescuing endangered persons. He said they are also trained to observe and preserve any evidence that can be gathered and pass it on to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the police.
In outlining the activities that took place on the morning of January 10, the Fire Officer said that when the Station received the call, it took between five to 10 minutes for them to respond. Upon arriving at the scene, officers observed the family Nissan Pathfinder engulfed in flames in an enclosed garage. O’Garro noted that it was the quick action of fire crew that prevented two propane tanks in the garage from overheating and causing further explosions and possible injuries.
Fire Station Officer O’Garro advised members of the general public that when there is a fire in the home the first course of action should be to get out. He said one should not take the risk of trying to prevent anything further from happening. O’Garro stressed that a fire can get of control in a matter of seconds, and the best option is always to leave immediately.
