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.
How that Leo fellar was a “BOSS” & involved in stealing something as petty as a gold chain? Like what kind of “BOSS” is that? I personally if I were to ever have a “BOSS” it wouldn’t be any THIEF…And I refuse to be a bottom feeder & look up to any low life as a “BOSS”…These youths must be illiterate.
Trust me jealousy and redeye and Bluetooth does cause some so call boss to be petty tief.
Go after them NOW Mr Assistant Commissioner…they have played their cards and made threats, take this serious and pursue these vermins where they hide…I have no sympathy for these idiots low life’s…they have already committed an offence by threatening the lives of the men and women who dedicated their lives to protect and serve ….GO AFTER THEM NOW….RID SOCIETY OF THESE RATS….WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE … THEIR FACES ARE PLASTERED ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA….GIVE THEM NO QUARTERS…these useless pillocks prey on the innocent and vulnerable and think they bad…well launch the full force ( RSLPF, SSU, RSS ) on their delusional brass…Our country has become a breeding ground for criminals and although I commend the light handedness of the government and police to allow the citizens to live their lives because that is what a free society does, it comes a point when that line is crossed, some heavy hands must be unleashed on those who don’t cherish their freedoms and make others frightened for their own personal freedom….the law must rise above this clear and present threat and crush it NOW. In other words, use a mallet to crush a flea…..and send a clear message to those criminal elements that they don’t govern the country and cannot commit violence acts with impunity….
The Assistant Commissioner needs a better picture.
These so called gang members are a menace to our society. They only talk, cannot read or make positive decisions for themselves, but only confirmed in their opinion there action is justified in whatever way possible. They always say if you feeding a dog everyday and one occasion it bite you better get raid of it. So I’ll suggest to get raid of these mongrels who lives amongst us. They should have a business here who involved in body parts. St. Lucia have a lot.
In my honest opinion the response was to soft. DCP,you should have given those thugs,until Thursday to turned themselves in or face the wrath of the police. We can’t sit there and allow some worthless,lowlife individuals to instill fear to the populace and by extension the police who’s there to maintain peace.
You have their photos and knows of their whereabouts,go for them and ensure that the police have body bags and upon completion of their operations,all the bags are filled ready to be disposed at the various cemeteries.
St. Lucians should come together and express their outrage agains these vermins who prey on the law abiding citizens of this country. St. Lucia is such a beautiful place and to have these handful of vermins thinking they can instill fear and make citizens of this beautiful place become lock themselves in their home in fear, that’s unacceptable. I implore the RSLPF, It’s time to take the bull by the horns.
This is what y’all get for playing games with criminals giving “Bail” for having weapons, What you guys expect. Y’all cause that. Now y’all wanna take action because of death threats, whatever bro. the chicken have come home to roost, deal with it like the rest of us without weapons. calling you guys for help and you have zero vehicle, but we have drugs and money in the mix, then y’all show up armed “to the teeth” with plenty of vehicles on the scene……….whatever bro. all of you need replacing, with the quickness