By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 31st August 2018)-  Police have informed members of the media that “someone was killed and an officer injured during a shooting incident in Sandy Point.”

The incident is said to have taken place shortly before 6PM today allegedly involving a gun fight scenario.

As understood a report of a shooting was made and police responded.

Reportedly, the officer is in a stable condition at the Joseph N France General Hospital in Basseterre.

Information reaching this media house indicates that the deceased is someone who had been on the run.

Police, however, are tight-lipped in giving confirmation on such. As indicated by a police source “ As we can confirm details I’ll share them.”

More details in a follow-up report.

By: Precious Mills

BASSTERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 31st August 2018) – Twelve children on the island have successfully completed their month-long lessons at 12th annual Traditional Musical Workshop, coordinated by well-known Cultural Preservationist Winston ‘Zack’ Nisbett, and during this past weekend’s graduation ceremony, the featured speaker well-known educator, playwright and novelist Loughlin Tatem schooled those present on the importance of good behaviour.

The closing ceremony was held on Saturday 25th August at the new location of Zack’s Historical-Cultural Library Museum situated at Buckley’s Estate, for the second year, before the presence of family members and other well-wishers gathered.

The graduates who attended were brothers Dalan Roberts and Aiden Roberts and also Jethro Douglas and Bernard Phillip.

The workshop- which ran from Monday 30th July to 25th August- as usual featured Music specialist Robert ‘Bobby’ Martin was held under the theme: ‘Discipline Continues To Be The Key’.

Students were taught how to play the banjo, quarto, guitar and triangle and lively renditions performed by the music students at the closing ceremony.

In commending the performances of the children, Nisbett said: “I think they were all good” which landed more thunderous applause from the audience.

Speaking with this reporter, he said “To me the workshop was great.” The workshop coordinator revealed that most of the students were absent from the graduation ceremony because they were engaged in other workshops and camps over the summer period.

As it relates to Tatem’s presentation, he touched on the subjects of bad peer pressure, self-control, bullying and career choice.

“It’s not everything that comes to your head that should come to your mouth. There are thing you’re supposed to think and only you alone know that you are thinking it. There are some people who have mouths like buckets with holes…no kind of thinking, no kind of self-control or self-management.”

On the point of bullying, he encouraged: “Respect other people’s feeling; don’t bully anybody.”

He went on to make reference to the Christmas carol called ‘Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer’

“All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They wouldn’t let poor Rudolph in in any reindeer games. There is a name for that and it is called bullying. Be careful about how you regard other people’s feelings.”

Touching on the topic of negative peer pressure, the youngsters were told: “Don’t always follow the path of your brain that tells you that you need other people’s company. I say to students all the time.. I see students like you, a little boy would get up and he would go to the teacher to mark a book or something and when he comes back down he is not watching his seat and somebody has a pencil with the point sticking up in the chair so when the poor boy sits down on the chair, the pencil will dig him on his bum.”

“It that right or is it wrong?” he questioned in quizzing the children who replied “Wrong!”.
Tatem added: “Those kind of actions are done by people who do not know how to tell themselves ‘no’; who do not know how to tell their brain ‘no’.”

Additionally, he admonished the graduates and other children in the audience to choose their career path early in life and speak to professionals in the fields that they select.
“Whenever I ask children and they tell me I don’t know, I ask them where is the office for ‘I don’t know’ because there is no job called I don’t know.Pick something even if you change it tomorrow…Talk to somebody who does that job.”

Tatem has commended Nisbett for doing a “tremendous job.”

Nisbett thanked all who were instrumental in helping to make the workshop a success including Delisle Walwyn and Company Ltd which has been onboard for the past nine (9) years, Development Bank, RAMS supermarket, videographer and technician Mervin Sage, businessman Carlton Dupont, businesswoman Karen Wyatt, event assistant Sam Franks, Pastor Walsworth Foreman (an employee of the Ministry of Finance) as well as the parents and guardians.
Photo: Workshop Coordinator Winston ‘Zack’ Nisbett and graduates pose for a photo (Spokesman Snap)

By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Wednesday 29th August 2018) – A 19-year-old man from Sandy Point is currently nursing wounds said to consist of injuries to his lungs and other areas after allegedly being beaten and shot by police over the past weekend during investigations into the shooting death of 44-year-old Police Sergeant Leon ‘Shabba’ Powell of Newton Ground.

Police are, however, challenging details shared by Samari ‘Storm’ Webbe, who is at the center of alleged police brutality which has attracted widespread public debate, in claiming that the teenager got shot during a gun struggle between him and an officer while he was in police custody on Friday 24th August.

In a 37-seconds cell-phone video which circulated via social media last Saturday (25th August), Webbe spoke about the encounter he had which “start from in de yard”, involving two police officers, moments before he was going to eat.

That video was taped by a male visitor while he (Webbe) laid in bed receiving treatment at the Joseph N. France General Hospital in Basseterre.

“Afterwards dey come, dey put me on de landing. He put he foot on me head [and] tell me look down on the ground,” he told also.

The video was cut short after a hospital employee-believed to be a nurse- was heard informing Webbe’s visitor that no recording nor picture taking were allowed.

This media house has gathered that the teenager, who originally hails from the sister isle of Nevis, is also claiming that he was he was taken to the Sandy Point Police Station then to a hilly section of the Newton ground community where he was beaten by cops on the way.

Further allegations point to Webbe being shot at and also questioned about what he knew about Sgt. Powell’s murder.

Police are reporting that sometime last Friday morning (24th August), Webbe was taken into police custody for questioning in relation to an ongoing search operation for wanted man Vincent Taylor and that preliminary investigations have revealed that at some point during the questioning, one of the Officers turned to speak with the other and Webbe rushed towards that Officer and held on to his firearm in an attempt to take it away.

“A scuffle ensued and Webbe was shot in the shoulder. He was rushed to the JNF Hospital for medical attention by the Officers where he is currently receiving treatment,” a police statement read.

Reportedly, the Forensic Services Unit and the Violent Crimes Unit both visited and processed the scene and carried out enquiries.

Police say that a parallel investigation will be done by the Office of Professional Standards – the unit responsible for overseeing investigations into all reports involving police officers.

Taylor, 37, who has two given addresses- Sandy Point and McKnight, is currently a prime suspect in relation to the shooting death of Sgt. Powell, 44, who was gunned down at his bar in Newton Ground on Saturday 18th August at about 1:00 AM.

Police are offering a reward of $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and prosecution.

Taylor is also wanted in to connection to an armed robbery which took place in December last year and has been the run since then.