NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the family of Azario Major, a man police killed in 2021, should seek to prevail in the Coroner's Court, not the "court of public opinion" where the disclosure of evidence could contaminate the potential jury pool.

Azario’s family has maintained their conviction that he was unlawfully killed, despite police claiming otherwise. # On April 14, a video of the killing incident that was narrated by a YouTube personality was released on Facebook. It has been shared more than 12k times and received more than 18k reactions. The video plunged the matter back into the forefront of the public consciousness, sparking shock, widespread criticism of the police and calls for the Major family to receive justice. # Asked about the video yesterday, Mr Munroe said: “If you don’t agree with what a policeman says was his reason for killing somebody, it’s going to a coroner’s inquest, you’re going to have your day in court. If you seek to poison the well of potential jurors, your outcome may be preventing you the very justice that you claim to be seeking.”   # Early in the video, Azario appears to converse with the officer who would later shoot him. As the video progresses, people outside a bar grow visibly tense and animated, including Azario and reportedly multiple officers. # Eventually, officers surround Azario’s car before he was killed. # Mr Munroe said the wide circulation of the video could cause a jury to not be impartial. # He said: “Okay, so at every case, you have two sides of a story. Justice is to let the court decide it, right? Are they letting a court decide it?  Are they wanting a court to decide it?” # “The video has been circulated many times. The matter was set for Coroner’s inquest, which involves a jury. The likelihood of you seating a jury now who hasn’t seen the video at all (with) that narration is low. #“So, what they may well have accomplished is that they may have accomplished that case not being able to be tried in the near future because they chose to try it in the court of public opinion. The law is very simple, justice is that you are to be judged by an impartial jury, an impartial jury means the jury is not affected by any external matters.” # The case is expected before the Coroner’s Court next month. # Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said yesterday police would not relaunch investigations following the video’s release.   # “Yes, I saw the video, I don’t know what they’re saying that happened … The facts will be revealed, and I’m not going to get into that.” # “We are not relaunching any investigation. The investigation has been completed and it’s before the court now. How the video got out? I don’t know, but that matter is before the court and I don’t wish to expand on that.” # The family of Azario said they have spent over $40,000 investigating the shooting death.

Azario’s family has maintained their conviction that he was unlawfully killed, despite police claiming otherwise.

On April 14, a video of the killing incident that was narrated by a YouTube personality was released on Facebook. It has been shared more than 12k times and received more than 18k reactions. The video plunged the matter back into the forefront of the public consciousness, sparking shock, widespread criticism of the police and calls for the Major family to receive justice.

Asked about the video yesterday, Mr Munroe said: “If you don’t agree with what a policeman says was his reason for killing somebody, it’s going to a coroner’s inquest, you’re going to have your day in court. If you seek to poison the well of potential jurors, your outcome may be preventing you the very justice that you claim to be seeking.”  

Early in the video, Azario appears to converse with the officer who would later shoot him. As the video progresses, people outside a bar grow visibly tense and animated, including Azario and reportedly multiple officers.

Eventually, officers surround Azario’s car before he was killed.

Mr Munroe said the wide circulation of the video could cause a jury to not be impartial.

He said: “Okay, so at every case, you have two sides of a story. Justice is to let the court decide it, right? Are they letting a court decide it?  Are they wanting a court to decide it?”

“The video has been circulated many times. The matter was set for Coroner’s inquest, which involves a jury. The likelihood of you seating a jury now who hasn’t seen the video at all (with) that narration is low.

“So, what they may well have accomplished is that they may have accomplished that case not being able to be tried in the near future because they chose to try it in the court of public opinion. The law is very simple, justice is that you are to be judged by an impartial jury, an impartial jury means the jury is not affected by any external matters.”

The case is expected before the Coroner’s Court next month.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said yesterday police would not relaunch investigations following the video’s release.  

“Yes, I saw the video, I don’t know what they’re saying that happened … The facts will be revealed, and I’m not going to get into that.”

“We are not relaunching any investigation. The investigation has been completed and it’s before the court now. How the video got out? I don’t know, but that matter is before the court and I don’t wish to expand on that.”

The family of Azario said they have spent over $40,000 investigating the shooting death.

A man accused of killing his girlfriend and her teenage daughter has been charged.

Blake Strachan, 23, was denied bail in relation to the murders of Allison Thompson and Trevornika Thompson, whose decomposing bodies were found in an apartment on Ross Corner on April 14.

Strachan returns to court on July 27.

A judge on Wednesday denied a request from a man on bail for attempted murder and armed robbery to remove his electronic monitoring device.

Arion McKenzie appeared before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson for a bail variation.

According to McKenzie, the tracking device was affecting his job at a window and door supplier.

McKenzie said that he had previously worked in the field but was relegated to the warehouse because he assumed that a client had seen his electronic monitoring device.

However, the prosecutor said that the employer said that there were no issues with McKenzie wearing an ankle bracelet.

The prosecutor suggested that McKenzie wore pants that covered his device while at work.

Grant-Thompson agreed that there were no grounds to remove the ankle monitor.

On Monday, 20th March, 2023 in Magistrate Court #5, thirty (30) foreign nationals were arraigned beforeSenior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis, for various immigration offenses.

On the charge of Overstaying, eight (8) Haitian nationals pled guilty and were fined $300.00 to $3,000.00or, in default of payment, serve prison time at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS)ranging from five days to six months. Three (3) Venezuelan nationals pled guilty and were fined $500.00to $1,500.00 or, in default of payment, serve prison time at (BDOCS) ranging from ten daysto two months.

Also, four (4) Jamaican nationals pled guilty and were fined $100.00 to $500.00 or, in default of payment,serve prison time at (BDOCS) ranging from five days to one month. One (1) Colombian national pledguilty, and was fined $300.00 or, in default of payment, serve ten days at (BDOCS) and one (1) Ecuadoriannational pled guilty and was fined $1,000.00 or, in default of payment, serve one month at (BDOCS). Inaddition to the charge of Overstaying, one (1) Venezuelan male was also charged with Harbouring illegalpersons and the case was adjourned to 30th March, 2023.

Further, twelve (12) Haitian nationals pled guilty to the charge of Illegal Landing. Four (4) were fined$300.00 or, in default of payment, serve five days at (BDOCS), five (5) had their cases adjourned to 3rd April, 2023 and three (3) ordered deportation.
One (1) Haitian resident (Permanent Residence) pled guilty to the charge of Harbouring illegal persons,and was granted bail in the amount of $3,000.00 with two sureties and the matter adjourned to 31st May,2023.

Upon payment of all fines and completion of sentences, all migrants were ordered to be turned over to theDepartment of Immigration of deportation.

The public is reminded that the Department is committed to executing our mandate to ensure compliancewith Statue Laws of our country.

For more information, call the Public Relations Unit at 1-242-322-7530, visit our website atwww.immigration.gov.bs, or call our Investigation hotlines (anonymously) at 1-242-604-0249, 1-242-604-0171-2 or 1-242-604-0196. 

 

On Monday, 20th March, 2023 in Magistrate Court #5, thirty (30) foreign nationals were arraigned before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis, for various immigration offenses. On the charge of Overstaying, eight (8) Haitian nationals pled guilty and were fined $300.00 to $3,000.00 or, in default of payment, serve prison time at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS) ranging from five days to six months. Three (3) Venezuelan nationals pled guilty and were fined $500.00 to $1,500.00 or, in default of payment, serve prison time at (BDOCS) ranging from ten daysto two months. Also, four (4) Jamaican nationals pled guilty and were fined $100.00 to $500.00 or, in default of payment, serve prison time at (BDOCS) ranging from five days to one month. One (1) Colombian national pled guilty, and was fined $300.00 or, in default of payment, serve ten days at (BDOCS) and one (1) Ecuadorian national pled guilty and was fined $1,000.00 or, in default of payment, serve one month at (BDOCS). In addition to the charge of Overstaying, one (1) Venezuelan male was also charged with Harbouring illegal persons and the case was adjourned to 30th March, 2023. Further, twelve (12) Haitian nationals pled guilty to the charge of Illegal Landing. Four (4) were fined $300.00 or, in default of payment, serve five days at (BDOCS), five (5) had their cases adjourned to 3 rd April, 2023 and three (3) ordered deportation. One (1) Haitian resident (Permanent Residence) pled guilty to the charge of Harbouring illegal persons, and was granted bail in the amount of $3,000.00 with two sureties and the matter adjourned to 31st May, 2023. Upon payment of all fines and completion of sentences, all migrants were ordered to be turned over to the Department of Immigration of deportation. The public is reminded that the Department is committed to executing our mandate to ensure compliance with Statue Laws of our country. For more information, call the Public Relations Unit at 1-242-322-7530, visit our website at www.immigration.gov.bs, or call our Investigation hotlines (anonymously) at 1-242-604-0249, 1-242- 604-0171-2 or 1-242-604-0196.