The police officer who was reportedly shot accidentally by one of his colleagues while conducting a raid in Chauncey on Saturday has been airlifted out of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for medical attention.
Acting Commissioner of Police Enville Williams confirmed at a press conference in Kingstown on Monday that the officer and a civilian were shot but had to be pressed for details.
“We are investigating an incident where two persons got shot. I know it is making the rounds in the media, and one of which is one of our own officers who — he’s doing well, he’s recovering well,” Williams said.
“And I just want to put it out because we do not have anything to hide. And as soon as something becomes clear in that regard, as well, I will similarly inform us as to what happened, how it happened and how we’re treating towards it,” the police chief said.
Asked for further details, Williams said, “… the most I can say is the police were conducting an operation on Saturday morning in the Chauncey area, and during that operation, two persons got shot, one of which is the police officer. When more details become available, I will let the country and the media know, because, like I said, there is nothing to hide, really.”
He, however, confirmed that the officer is a male constable who has been enlisted for “in excess of 17 years”.
“I am not prepared at this point in time to say what his name is, because he’s still seeking medical attention, and there might be some privacy issues attached to that, so that when I get an all-clear from the doctors that he’s recovering, well, I can share information, too,” Williams said.
He confirmed that the officer had been placed in the Intensive Care Unit of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) after being shot.
“… not that he was critical, but as a precautionary measure, while they await air transportation, out of St. Vincent”.
The police chief said that the civilian, a suspect in a police investigation, received a gunshot injury and is a patient at the MCMH.
Information gathered when iWitness News visited the scene at Chauncey on Saturday suggested that the officer might have been shot accidentally by one of his colleagues during the pre-dawn operation in an especially dark area of the community.
The incident occurred during a raid around 4 a.m., where police had gone to execute a search warrant in respect of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
A male resident of the South Leeward village who is also an occupant of the house was shot in the hip, reportedly by police officers during the raid.
After 3 days the commissioner of police can’t provide the general public with details of a friendly fire shooting? Nuff said
The injured cop was sent to Trinidad and the civilian who was also shot is sent to MCMH. How does this look?
SAMO, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU IF THE NATURE OF THE CIVILIAN IS LIFE THREATENING, ALSO WHY DON’T YOU START RAISING ‘A GO FUND ME’ LINK FOR THE CIVILIAN IN QUESTION.
Samo.
The civilian is of no value to society. Your PM did get a fingernail scratch in his head and fly Barbados. If the civilian dies no one cares except for his family left to mourn and burial expence.