The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) has vowed to relentlessly pursue individuals making death threats against officers.
According to the police, the threats followed recent police action against crime.
On Monday, a leaked internal police alert indicated that threats followed Saturday’s police-involved fatal shooting of Maxwell Leo, alias ‘Hennessy’, whom law enforcement described as a ‘notorious criminal.’
Along with photos of alleged gang members, the leaked document said there was a strong possibility that members of a named gang would retaliate for Leo’s death.
In a statement Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Luke Defreitas said some of those brazen pronouncements made over multiple online platforms included threats of targeted attacks against specific members of the force.
Defreitas explained that the RSLPF respects citizens’ rights to comment on matters of national interest.
However, the senior police officer noted that language inciting or facilitating violence or otherwise constituting credible threats to members of the RSLPF or any other person is unlawful.
“The seriousness of these threats, the context, and the perceived intent of those responsible are factors considered in determining whether such matters are pursued summarily or indictably,” Defreitas explained.
He advised citizens to be cautious and responsible in online communication to avoid legal consequences.
“The Royal St. Lucia Police Force condemns these attacks and will do all that is legally possible to protect its members. Investigators will seek to identify and pursue, without fail, all persons responsible,” Defreitas said regarding the death threats against the police.
Section 114 of the Criminal Code of St. Lucia makes it an offence for a person to threaten another with death or grievous harm with intent to put that other person in fear of death or grievous harm.
A conviction on indictment makes an individual liable to five years’ imprisonment or, on summary conviction, two years’ imprisonment.
Defreitas declared that as the police continue their relentless pursuit to deter criminal activity, they will not sit idly by and allow threats against officers.
In this regard, the Assistant Commissioner of Police reiterated that the RSLPF would relentlessly pursue all those responsible.
