Twenty-two year-old Lanes Sylvius Baptiste was shot and killed yesterday morning when he attacked an officer and attempted to flee after an armed robbery.
At about 8am a jitney driver reported to the East Street Police Station that he had been robbed at knife point. Police officers went to Pinewood to investigate, where they reportedly spotted Baptiste as he attempted to escape.
Assistant Commissioner Glen Miller said, “The officers were in hot pursuit and followed the suspect behind a home in Breadfruit Street.”
“Once they got in the back of the premises the suspect then pulled a long silver blade knife upon the officer. He in turn pulled his service revolver and in defense fired upon the suspect. As a result he was shot in the upper body and succumbed at the scene.”
The jitney driver reported that he knew Baptiste as he was regular passenger on the bus route.
Pinewood has become known as a hotbed of criminal activity and murder.
“A knife is very deadly instrument,” Assistant Commissioner Miller said. “We’ve seen a number of homicides in the Bahamas involving persons who were killed with knives, including police officers, not this year, but in previous incidents.”
