“Police used justifiable force to stop bank robbery,” says Police Commissioner

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Published by BBN Staff at July 9, 2020

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Posted: Thursday, July 9, 2020. 3:21 pm CST.

By BBN Staff: Today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said that the force his officers used to apprehend the men responsible for the July 2, Scotiabank robbery, which resulted in one of the robbers dying, was justified.

Williams, speaking at an award ceremony for outstanding officers today, stressed that the officers have a right to defend themselves if they are being fired upon, as well as a duty to protect civilians and that both purposes were served when the officers returned fire at the robbers.

“While I am not going to be the judge of the facts, as far as I am concerned, the police officers on the day in question, performed exceptionally well, they were brave and they did what needed to be done to bring down those robbers,” Williams said.

Williams said that the officers acted in accordance with Section 32 to 36 of the Criminal Code which covers Justifiable Means of Force and Harm. He noted that there several worse alternatives to the ending of the bank robbery which included all five of the robbers dying, the police officers dying, or a bystander getting killed as the event unfolded.

“The only casualty was one of the robbers. And what else can we ask for, what else do we expect of our officers,” he added.

Gasman Young was one of five men that robbed the Belama branch of Scotiabank, and one of two robbers that were shot during an exchange of gunfire with police. Young died from his injuries will receiving medical attention at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

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