About 2:00 a.m. officers attached to the Anse La Raye Police Station responded to information regarding a suspected Robbery in the village.
Officers pursued a motorcar, having confirmed the particulars of the suspects and their getaway vehicle. In an attempt to flee, the suspect car caused damages to the marked police vehicle, before coming to a stop in a drain along St. Lawrence Highway.
During the incident, one male was fatally wounded. He has been identified as Maxwell Leo alias Hennessy, of Marigot. The deceased is known to law enforcement and was at the time, on bail for a previous charge of Possession of Firearm.
One .40 calibre pistol and one spent .40 calibre shell was recovered by officers following the encounter. A total of five individuals are in police custody in relation to this matter.
We wish to strongly advise that once lawful directives to stop have been issued, they must be followed. Failure to do so not only endangers the lives of officers, but the general public. We wish to also caution against acts of criminality which lead to encounters with officers, tasked to maintain law and order.
A warning is also issued to persons who attempt to obstruct the police from carrying out their duties. It is unacceptable and unlawful, for anyone to, in any way, prohibit an officer from carrying out his or her functions.
In this instance, it was noted that individuals physically attempted to prevent officers from processing the scene. All identified perpetrators will be arrested and prosecuted.
There have been reports of ensuing threats against officers which will not be tolerated. The fullest extent of the law will be utilized to ensure the protection of all officers tasked with keeping the peace.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police force remains resolute in achieving our mandate of crime reduction and increased citizen security.
Anyone with information regarding the commission of a crime is asked to contact the nearest police station, the Crime Hotline at 555, or utilize the Crime Hotline App available on Google Play.
SOURCE: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force/SLT. PHOTO: Screen grab from social media video.
