ROYAL POLICE FORCE OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Office of Strategic Communications (STRATCOM)
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING DEATH OF PRISONER
St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, July 25, 2026
Investigations are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding the death of 36-year-old Rashawn Shabazz, who died at the hospital, following an incident at His Majesty’s Prison on Thursday, July 23rd.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the prisoner became aggressive and barricaded himself inside his cell, after prison officers attempted to escort him for a scheduled medical assessment.
After several attempts to have the matter peacefully resolved failed, the prison authorities requested police assistance.
The inmate reportedly continued to resist and threaten officers, resulting in the use of non-lethal measures to remove him safely from the cell.
He was subsequently transported to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, where medical personnel immediately attended to him. Despite efforts by medical staff to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at approximately 11:37 a.m.
The Police Administration extends sincere condolences to the family of Rashawn, and reassures them that a full inquiry will be carried out into the incident.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
They killed him with excessive teargas. They probing themselves. Gmafb
Why did they use rubber bullets and tear gas to remove him from the cell? That is the billion dollar question,in my opinion.
Antigua is truly not a real place.Think about it. A single prisoner in a high security cell, not two or four, just one man, needed to be removed for medical purposes and instead of a group of Prison officers geared themselves with the proper attire and bring that one man out, they decided to call the Riot police squad armed with teargas and rubber bullets, that they rapidly released on that one man, a man with no mask or protective means to avoid inhaling this dangerous gas as it is being released in his tiny cell. Teargas on its own being release in the open air is bad enough, now imagine the horrible experience this man would’ve went through, a mean, that was his death sentence right there and then, so what are you investigating? A prison with a group of officers employed, that’s incapable on their own to extract a single unarmed prisoner, not a Riot or a group, just one prisoner from his cell is not a prison, and for that I reiterate Antigua is not a real place. Guilty.
Something is not sitting well with that story.
I do not know who feeds this portal with information.
However before publishing stories this portal needs to make sure that what they are about to put to the public makes sense to the ordinary man.
Firstly, a prisoner in a cell is not authorized to have anything but a few pieces of clothing.
If that prisoner is a mental case even more attention has to be placed on what is in his cell.
Secondly, the cells are locked from outside by the prison authorities and can be opened whenever they desire.
A prisoner cannot prevent the prison authorities from opening his/her cell.
Let’s put that together.
How can a person who doesn’t have control of his/)her cell barricade him/her self in a cell which opens from outside?
Make that make sense to me!!
Let us continue…..
More facts….
Police officers have no authority over any prison inmate whether he be sentenced or on remand.
The ONLY person with authority over a prisoner is a prison officer.
And so, getting the prisoner to respond to instructions is the sole prerogative of prison officers.
When sanity leaves a prisoner either permanently or temporarily it is the responsibikity of the prison authorities to seek medical help and have that prisoner brought under control.
The police have no authority to call for medial attention for a prisoner.
Let’s put the news portal allegations together.
A prisoner barricades himself in his cell.
How is that possible?
Police assistance is sought.
To do what?
Let us not forget that they have no authority in the prison.
The police use non lethal force to extricate the prisoner from his cell.
What force are we speaking of?
Why didnt the prison officers use the same level of force to extricate the prisoner from his cell.
The prisoner who barricaded himself in his cell is finally removed and taken to the hospital.
Why?
There is a prison doctor.
He/she is responsible for all medical situations at the hospital and when situation becomes unbearable he refers the prisoner to the hospital.
Did the prison doctor make that call/decision to have the prisoner transferred to the hospital?
Why?
What was his diagnosis.
Remember again, my people, that no lethal force was used to extricate the prisoner.
That’s according to the report which I believe was given to the press by the police.
He arrives at hospital and ends up DEAD.
Questions, in your nenen…..
Who authorized Police into the prison to deal with an uncooperative prisoner who ends up dead?
According to the police, “An investigation is TO BE LAUNCHED”.
Why hasnt that investigations been launched?
By now the entire nation expexted that a preliminary finding would have been communicated by the police to the nation.
That hasn’t been done?
When?
Will that investigation take as long as the Manny James shooting death investigation?
Will that investigations completed before or drag on longer than the investigation into the death of Khalil Simon of Bolans?
The public has questions and the deafening silence on matters of national interest are not painting the law enfocrement body in a good light.
It would seem that more prayer and divine intervention is being sought by the police high command than true investigations aimed at solving crime.
Can an ordained member of the cloth do a good job at crime solving which involves issues which will conflict with his pastoral values and teachings?
The public wants answers and want them as soon as yesterday!!!!!!!
Read as: the police launch control of the narratives and emotional atmosphere surrounding the police constant and blatant killings of civilian in the public and those within their custody.
We may feel saddened by these police blatant murder of innocent people in Antigua and Barbuda, right at this present moment the police and military is anxiously waiting with baited breath to move with alacrity to terminate the life of any Barbudans that crosses the buffer zone set up by Gaston for white people in Barbuda on their self style PLH compound blessed by Gaston brown our prime minister, the police committed because they are also provided with housing by the same PLH and probably fed by them to. So our prime minister authorized the police to be murderers.
WHAT THE HELL…! …WHO DIED AT THE HOSPITAL? OR ‘…WHO ARRIVED DEAD AT THE HOSPITAL: …RECKLESSNESS AND STUPIDITY: …ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.
***
STRATCOM MEDIA RELEASES OFTEN COME WITH MILEADING PUBLIC INFORMATION:
***
THESE CANNOT BE REFUTED:
(i) ‘…MANNIE JAMES 45, WHO GRAYS FARM RESIDENTS WITNESSED HIM BEING GUNNED DOWN: yet
(ii) ‘…ALREADY DEAD, HE WAS HURRIEDLY REMOVED FROM THE ‘…EXTRAJUDICIALLY KILLING SCENE: and
(iii) …HURRIEDLY RUSHED HIM DEAD TO THE HOSPITAL:
***
SAME MODUS OPERANDI:
(ii) ‘…ESCAPED PRISONER, SHANNEL THOMAS’ WAS ‘…EXTRAJUDICIALLY KILLED: and
(v) …ALREADY DEAD, POLICE REPORTEDLY HURRIEDLY REMOVED HIM FROM THE ‘…POSSIBLE CRIME SCENE:’
***
INSTRUCTIVE TO NOTE:
(a) ‘…MERE FEET AWAY FROM HIS CASSADA GARDEN’S RESIDENCE: but
(b) …IN THE VICINITY OF THE ‘…STABLE’S NIGHT CLUB: he
(vi) ..BODY RIDDLED WITH BULLETS, AND ALREADY DEAD:
(vii) …POLICE REPORTEDLY REFUSED TO ALLOW VIEWING: by
(a) ‘…HIS GRIEVING AND TERROR-STRICKEN MOTHER: and
(b) …BISHOP CHARLESWORTH’ AT THE ‘…EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING SCENE: …
***
NOW
RASHAWN SHABBAZ
(a) ‘…THE INMATE, LAWFULLY OCCUPYING AN ASSIGNED CELL: was
(b) …ALLEGEDLY BRUTALLY PEPPERED WITH RUBBER BULLETS: and
(c) …DEPRIVED OF OXYGENATED AIR:
.”
(d) …WHEN ALLEGEDLY UNLAWFULLY ‘…TEAR GASSED,’: within
(e) …THE ONLY STEEL-BARRED VENTILATED CELL DOOR WAY.’
***
STUPIDITY AND RECKLESSNESS: …ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN:
TWO INVESTIGATIONS:
(i) ‘…FOR THE CORONER: (INQUEST: Determination): of
(a) ‘…JUSTIFICATION:
(b) …MURDER: or
(c) …MANSLAUGHTER.’
***
OUTCOME:
‘CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS: (MURDER: Criminal Trial_ JUDGE/JURY).’
***
ALL HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT.
***
PRISON AFFAIRS:
POLICE: …NO BUSINESS IN PRISON AFFAIRS:
***
BLUNTLY: AND OPENLY PUT: …BENEFIT OF PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE
***
UNCHALLENGEABLE:
POLICE DO NOT SUPERINTEND PRISONS:
***
NO MATTER HOW INCOMPETENT, ‘…PRISON SUPERINTENDENTS DO.’
***
WHAT THE HELL…!
***
COME STRAIGHT, STRATCOM: …COME CLEAN.
***
WHAT THE HELL…! …ONE PRISON SUPERINTENDENT: LT. C KLONDYKE PENNYFEATHER
***
Investigators may wish to ‘…INTERVIEW ASSIGNED VISITING PRISON DOCTOR:
(i) ‘…THE REPUTABLE AND COMPETENT, ‘…DOCTOR JOSEP (Female): and
(ii) …FORMER SECONDED SUPERINTENDENT OF PRISON. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE,’ ALBERT ‘…MOST POWERFUL’ WADE QPM.’
***
WHAT THE HELL…! …BEEN THERE DONE THAT.
***
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION IS SUGGESTED.
ASSIGNED ‘PRISON SUPERINTENDENT, LIEUTENANT COLONEL …KLONDYKE PENNYFEATHER,’ WAS WELL-KNOWN FOR: his
(a) ‘…NO-NONSENSE APPROACH: and
(b) …FORTRIGHTNESS.’
***
THE ‘CHIPS SHALL FALL WHERE THEY MAY.’ ONE ‘PRISON SUPERINTENDENT.’
***
***
BEST REGARDS
IT MAY JUST HELP TO ELIMINATE ‘…PROFESSIONAL INCOMPETENCE.’
‘***
WALK GOOD.
***
I might just want to add that: Correctional Institutions are mandated for care, custody and control; under auspices of legislation enshrined in the laws of the land summarily exercise by the virtues of the Courts. I can’t fathom the reason for Police Service Involvement into a custodial matter of this magnitude. Unless inept leadership of the prison hierarchy is being manifested here. An Independent forensic by-partisan inquest, is to be deemed to inferred as a forgone conclusion;. to lend clarity and concrete transparency credible responsibility to the waiting public of, Antigua & Barbuda: as per, universal justice demands.
Police probing police actions? We know how that would end. Their whole approach to restrain him was wrong. An Independent civilian oversight body, rather than the police should handle these investigations to ensure transparency and accountability.
This investigation will go the way of all the other investigations.
How many investigations have been launched under cutie? How many? Anybody ever hear anything after the announcement?
Bullshit!!! that is why things will remain the same……Police want the public to assist them but the problem is the public don’t trust the damn Police Force….Police gonna say this is what we did and that is the facts cause we are the Police and THE END………Turkle was not no simple youth he was a member of the National Cadets…..Though he ended up straying towards a negative path and started using hard drugs he retained alot of his Cadets knowledge I even seen him into an altercation use the push trip PIT maneuver…They called for back up at the Prison but the back up came with intention to be extremely aggressive without concern for the Prisoners life…..Police need outside investigation otherwise long time co workers , course mates or possible secret lovers will not have courage to reveal the truth…..
WHAT THE HELL…! @RAWLSTON POMPEY: …CORRIGENDUM: …ADDENDUM
***
THIS IS NOT FOR THE ‘…DECEITFUL ONES: …ONLY FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
***
Revisiting the reply to the news story, ‘…an ERROR’ and ‘…an OMISSION’ were observed.
(a) ‘…The word preceding ‘…STRATCOM INFORMATION should be ‘…MISLEADING: while
(b) …BROWNE,’ should have followed the Title and name ‘…BiSHOP CHARLESWORTH.’
***
Those under reference, along with:
(i) ‘…ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, CLIFTON CABRAL: and
(ii) …INSPECTOR RAYMOND FINDLAY,’ lend attestations to this ‘…FACT.’
***
They knew that ‘…SHANELL THOMAS,’ bullet-ridden body was not even’…REMOVED: from
(a) ‘…THE BACK OF THE ‘…BLOOD-SATURATED FLOOR OF THE POLICE PICK-UP: to
(b) …THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF THE MEDICAL FACILITY.’
***
The ‘MOTHER’ and “BISHOP’ were subsequently grateful to the ‘…INSPECTOR,’ who later arrived and showed an extraordinary ‘…HUMAN SENSE OF SENSITIVITY.’
***
WHAT THE HELL…!
***
WALK GOOD.
***
Comments are closed.