Community in Shock as Father-of-Two Mannie James Killed in Dramatic Police Chase

1. These stop and search during carnival need to audited. The police and military are using the exercises during carnival as an opportunity to show off and be aggressive. They seem to be watching American TV and trying to emulate their ignorant law enforcement officers. There is absolutely no reason for police to chase someone and shoot them, much less so when they were not armed. I can recall in years gone by groups of police and military armed with long guns threatening patrons if they don’t move when they tell them and go in the direction that they demand. The parades are generally peaceful. The only thing the public needs is for law enforcement to stand by in case a fight erupts. Carnival is a time for people to unwind and have a little fun, which is desperately needed in the current atmosphere of victimization and financial hardships that Antiguans are facing.

   • @Antigua First…I’ve seen these tactical manoeuvres used by law enforcement, in the war torn hoods, in America during the ‘War On Drugs,” from the 1980’s to the early 2000’. They really didn’t work, to curtail the flow of illegal activities, and they never will. During these times, there wasn’t the advancement of technology(audio/video) to personalize, the movements of law enforcement by using body cameras, cell phones etc, by documenting them moment, by moment.
     It appears, Antigua is now living and experiencing, the 1970’s to the 1990’s in the USA, from the maneuvers/tactics of law enforcement, to the woeful lack, of accountability by the authorities.
     Antigua has the advantage, over what was happening and still happening in American inner cities(by the way, I’m drawing references to American Culture, since, this is what is being emulated, for the most part from the Cosa Nostra to the local street gangs)again, because this budding Culture is growing in Antigua, the advantage of which, I speak is to utilize the current technology! Record every second of every “stop and search(legality is in question and should be looked into), and, and, and, find the funding to equip the tactical force(army and police) with working body cameras.
     At the very least, all law enforcement vehicles must be equipped with working video/audio recording devices.
     They found monies from grants to bartering for monitoring devices to track COVID, they can find monies to fight crime, in similar ways.
     It will serve ALL, the citizenry and law enforcement alike very well.
     Crime pays and it will be with HUEMANITY, forever! The only solution is #Curtailing Crime!

     Ras Smood aka Jumbee_Picknee
     De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard

     Vere C. Edwards

2. Everyone is always good in death.

3. So, he was so peaceful and hardworking, what was he doing racing away from the police and army and in the company of two other tugs that were firing at the police.
   Give me an aspirin. If you have not done anything wrong, you do not run away from the police.
   This is not Miami Vice.

   • Law-abiding citizens don’t run from the police. It sounds like these “outraged” residents need to be deported.

   • Exactly…It could be a strong possibility it was out of shock, fear and possible pressure by his company made him decide to speed away from the officers.. If that was the case he should of surrendered when he got to Grace Farm…

   • FTS, it is the violent, abusive, aggressive nature of the police that causes people to run. If there wasn’t any witness, they would have dumped the body, probably in Cooks Dump.
     Why are the killers hiding now?

     Antigua needs lawmen that care about Antigua and its residents.

     Is your friend Gaston Browne a thug?
     I have heard him making threatening remarks several times.

     • You can go on and make false accusations about the police. But a police officer has a life also. They have a family that they need to return to. While trying to keep us citizens safe they put their life on the line everyday. Especially with the number of weapons in the hands of these criminals. It is probably only a matter of time before one of them dies at the hands of one of those tugs. And all you guys can do is cast aspersion on these law enforcement officers. I sometimes wonder what exactly you want. You have to fight fire with fire. If the tugs shoot at you, you shoot back. And especially at nighttime you do not know what they will do. Should they let them go and commit crimes and let our murder rate just go up and up? Perhaps that is what you want, so you can blame the government. Anyone that runs away from a police blockade has something to hide. If not, you just drive up and subject yourself to a search. He met his faith because of either the company he held, or he was a bad apple himself. I do hope the police catch those two others that ran away. We cannot be soft on crime and let it get out of hand. I’d rather be inconvenienced on the road, than to know that someone got away with arms and committed a robbery that night. We are already short on police officers and have to use the army as well. But so be it.
       I am thankful for every man and women that puts on the uniform to ensure my safety and that of my fellow men/women. Cause I don’t think I can do that job. I was against the Vietnam war because of the politics, but I tell you, the world has been safe for a long time until September 11. And now since the Americans have done what they did, we again can feel safe in the world. But no one would say thank you to them for that.
       RPFAB you have my respect.

       • the members of The Royal Police Force are all perfect individuals and abide by the same laws they’re enforce.

4. Are the Police going to investigate themselves?
   Sidelines: Have you ever done anything wrong? Have you ever made a stupid decision that you regretted making? If so, do not throw stones, SINNER.

5. A person running from the police does not give the police the right to shoot to kill…. Moreso Antigua is a very small community. Why not chase the perpetrators until they are exhausted? Every single life is precious & sacred….. Our policemen & army men need to be more responsible……

   • They are responsible. They answered fire with fire.

6. He should not be running from the cops if he’d done nothing wrong, but the law enforcement officer or officers had no rite to shot the man in his back and I hope that the officers are already on suspension pending further investigation!

7. ANR, What are the names of the lawless enforcement cowards that murdered Mannie James?

   • The victim’s children are left fatherless, his parents lost a son, the killers are living comfortably with their families.
     Another Bruce Greenaway storyline.
     Wake up Antiguans. The Injustice justice system is failing us.

8. So if you run from law E nforcement Officers that gives them the right to kill you.
   Because the Officers are not punished they will continued to kill innocent people. When one is killed that person cannot come back alive, we need to understand that. What is wrong in shooting in the foot? Law Enforcers need to know that they are mandated to SERVE and PROTECT. Stop killing people whom you never gave life.

   • The officers were fired on. What would you want them to do if one of them was your father, brother or husband? Take a bullet from the tugs that were shooting at them. There is no time in the middle of the night to hesitate about what to do next. You have the training, the tugs use firearm, you fire back. Sadly, for him he got killed by the police bullet. But that is no fault of any police procedure of engagement. This is exactly what they are trained for when they meet tugs firing at them. Take them down. You guys need to understand, regular police in Antigua and Barbuda do not carry guns. Unlike in North America, every police officer carries a weapon. These were police trained for and on a specific patrol, stop and search. These tugs try to get away and in fleeing they exchange fire with the police. Which put the police on high alert. It could mean either their lives or that of the tugs. And in this case one of them got it. My condolances to the beloved.

9. If he was thinking about his children and family he should of jus pulled off th road especially when it was jus him alone and let the officers arrest him….Fine he was afraid etc but he knew from the time he fled the scene and shots were fired at the lawmen he was in deep hot water…He should of surrendered…..

10. The question is, what was the protocol here? Was the protocol for the officers at the check point chase someone if they turned around?

    These are the questions, because the man was not in the commission of a crime. A driver or person has the right to change his mind and turned around if he sees a check point, for whatever reason, it is his right. If the man was in a commission of a crime and then he was chased, then that’s an entire different situation, but that’s not the case here.
    What the officers should have done was to do an investigation, or simple dispatch an officer that’s not at the check point to go and investigate the situation.
    So all this dumb talk about the man shouldn’t have run is irrelevant, because anyone has the right to turn around if they see a checkpoint, for whatever reason you think they might did it, it’s their right.

    These officers are only there to follow the law, and they broke protocol in this case.. you don’t need to chase someone and shoot them if the simply turned around at a check point.

    • It’s their right as you put it why didn’t they just stop and say it is our right to turn around I guess you think it’s their right to shoot at the police also

      • @humble.. he did not shoot at the police, that’s a propaganda story put out by the police. No weapons were found, no bullet holes in the officers vehicle, no trace of him resisting arrest.

        Sir you cannot kill someone over a secondary offense that you escalated, that’s not how police protocol works, not unless you’re too dumb and blinded to know that?

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