Rest in Peace, Officer Benjamin

*** BREAKING NEWS ***: Police Officer shot in Town, Police have the area lockdown !!!
Link to story

story here

thank you Carol. I couldn't figure out how to post the link.

Hi. I posted a link to the story. Please don't copy and paste copyrighted information.

Hopefully the officer will be ok..

We are here on the island. My friends were shopping in phillipsburg when this happened today. My friends are currently on lockdown in phillipsburg. This is horrible. Prayers to all involved. I hate that these things are happening here and in broad daylight. Terrifying for all involved.

What do you mean by 'on lockdown'? They can't leave the town?

They locked them inside the jewelry store until a little bit ago.

this happened right next to our liquor store.they tried to rob Oro Diamante. our staff was in lock down in our store. the police asked everyone not to leave.
Our staff has since left. police man is at the hospital in critical condition, the last I heard.
THis is very upsetting to us all

How scary for everyone..

The online story now says they tried to rob Joe's Jewelry store.

There were 3 ships in town today. The Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Conquest along with Independence of the Seas totally nearly 11000 people. Thankfully, they caught the person who did the shooting, but there will be a lot of damage to the reputation of St. Maarten.

Prayers for Officer "Benjy" <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" />

a recent update on the young officer's condition from a friend:
"the bleeding has been stabilized but he is presently in a coma because of loss of blood.. we are all praying here together but we needs your prayers on the outside.. please help us as we pray for him to pull thru this...."

Carol, I think the online story mentioned the shooting was in the area outside Joe's Jewelry. If I am not mistaken they tried to rob Oro Diamante

Hope this officer survives. He is in our prayers. Say what you want about the police, but they are the fine line between safety and anarchy. We shop at Oro Diamonte, hopefully Raj and his staff are safe as well as everyone in the vicinity of this dirtbag who caused all this. Our hearts go out to this police officer's family, friends, and loved ones.

wow, so sad. I hope he is OK.

told my wife and she said "WHAT?? that doesn't happen there!!".. I told her "you can't say that anymore".. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" />

unfortunately...it happens EVERYWHERE!!!

Unfortunately, Ed, you are correct. Prayers for the injured officer.

Please, if anyone has updates on this today, it would be very much appreciated. Raju is a dear friend and his staff is like his family. I'm sure they are all devastated and praying for the officer that came to help them.
My heart is heavy for this tragedy on this beautiful island that so many people, especially the Badhrani brothers , work so hard to keep pristine and respected.

http://www.thedailyherald.com/index.php?...s&Itemid=54

Best wishes to the officer and his family

I hope that they can air lift him to a bigger hospital-prayers for sure.

I just posted a link. He is supposed to be flown to the DR today.

that's good news -lets hope that there's more coming

prayers to the officer and his family

if there any place donations can be sent

It's good news (however fragile) that he was good enough to be medevac-ed out.

Well, as of the latest update to that story, doctors are still trying to get him stablized enough to be able to fly.

yes, I am not sure that he has been flown out yet

Flown to DR....hmmmm....not knowing anything about any hospital facilty in the Caribbean.....but if asked to guess, I would've thought another French (Martinue/Guadalupe)/Dutch Island (Curacao), San Juan, St Thomas, Venezuela, Cuba or the USA........anybody have a guess on why DR?

I have known other local residents go to DR for medical care.

it is very common here..

DR actually has some of best medical facilities in Caribbean. I cannot imagine that cost will be any factor in doing what is best for this hero.

update: the officer has been flown out to DR.
and a reward is being offered for information on the other suspect:
http://www.soualiganewsday.com/local/soualiga-news-today/item/4489-investigation-team-formed-us$10,000-reward-for-information-on-second-suspect-involved-in-police-shooting.html

The one link I posted above has been updated to state he was flown out this evening. All here I'm sure are sending all good thoughts to the officer and his family for a full recovery. And we do hope that the other criminal is in fact caught soon.

Daily Herald story Several businesses were also closed in support of the injured officer.

Daily Herald story As far as I'm concerned, I think they should ban scooters everywhere. The criminals seem to ALWAYS use scooters.

Same was true in Grandcase with scooters.....don't hear much about Grand Case...................perhaps Phillipsburg (particularly jewelry shops) need to band together to get private patrols in addition to the steps announced to fill police vacancies.

I don't know what the costs would be but I'm sure if a dollar per visitor were somehow allocated it would easily put a tourist cop in every area: Phillipsburg, Marigot, Grand Case.

These guys seem pretty brazen

Yes, it seems that the private security in Grand Case has helped. Most of these scooters are either not registered or not insured also.

So sad

Link with audio recording by Police spokesman Ricardo Henson

it is very sad. everyone on the island is deeply saddened by his loss. I believe he has been flown back to SXM already. Sharon Harris reported on FB that his fellow officers lined the road in solidarity as the ambulance passed

It's been reported on another site that he is now on SXM, and that his fellow police officers lined the road between the airport and the hospital.

So very sad indeed. Sending our thoughts and prayers to the family as they gain the strength to cope with this tragedy.

According to the link above, the ambulance wasn't even supposed to land on SXM until 12:20 but I'm sure that his fellow officers and the whole island is in shock.

This is so very tragic. Both perpetrators should be charged with and convicted for homicide, and should never taste freedom again. Hopefully, the reward will result in the apprehension of the 2nd one. I'm very saddened and prayers go out to the family & friends of Officer Benjamin.

It's so sad to hear this. Prayers to all involved. Something very serious must be done to combat this relatively new brazen type of crime on the island. Whatever it is should be named in his honour.

Yes, I do hope the other person is caught and that some lasting reforms are undertaken.

It is not good news, folks. Sadly, Benjy is brain dead. Such a senseless act.

http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-ma...st-maarten.html

Yes, I posted that same link before. I haven't seen another update since then, but he was at the SMMC, as of the last update.

Looks like the Gov of SXM heard you.

Daily Herald

Load all these low life scum bags on a barge with their scooters , guns and send them out to sea . Let them fend for themselves ... When they run out of gas they can swim ...to no where ...

+1.
But you can also read in a local newspaper an article developing all kinds of excuses for these thugs. Revolting!

St Martin News

The plane actually did come in at 12:20 so the officer I spoke with (everyone is very emotional so either he stated wrongly or I heard him wrong) & all the police were escorting the ambulance to the airport to pick him up & then they were all on the road as they brought him to the hospital. I watched & prayed for him as they passed Royal Palm. There were people all on the hill & many people then followed the police escort to the hospital. My very close friend was there & messaging me so I know this is a fact.

They can load the person who wrote that article on the same barge .....it is time for the SXM Government to govern this country in the best interest of those law biding citizens and visitors of SXM . What are they waiting for ? The governments response is wonderful , but when will they act ?

Sharon, Leslie or Jeff: Could you please let us know if there is a gofundme page or another way that we could make small donations to the family. I would very much like to find away to give back. Thanks.

Very sad indeed….and so senseless. I, too, wish they would ban all scooters. Besides being frequently involved in crimes, they are ridiculously ridden and dangerous. We hate them. Thoughts going out to Officer Benjamin and his family, friends, and loved ones.

From what I hear and have read, Officer Benjamin was a fine man and what happened to him is absolutely inexcusable and cannot be excused in any way or to any degree. I do not think Bibi was making excuses for the inexcusable - I think she was simply telling the story about the criminals to help explain the horrible problem that exists on the island with too many young men with nothing to do but seek and find trouble. I know that Bibi can be controversial with many, but I do not think the comments about her story are fair.

Lots of 'blaming the victim' here on the part of Justice Minister Richardson

None has been formed yet that I know of. If anyone forms one please let me know; I'll put it in SXM Weekly News and in social media on sites with around 45,000 followers.

This poor SXM police officer killed in the line of duty by these 2 scumbags also faced very difficult times at the beginning of his life and yet, despite the difficulty, he worked hard and made it.
Furthermore I do find it revolting to publish this kind of article the same day the police officer is declared brain dead.

Sharon--I'm sure everyone is just besides themselves and not hearing or thinking clearly.

Such a heartbreaking and senseless thing to happen.

My deepest sympathies and most sincere condolences to all his family, friends and co-workers. And to all the people of the island, my heart aches for you having lost something so good at the hands of something so evil. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

As I said, the entire SXM community is in a deep state of shock and sadness. This should never had happened. Office Benji is one of the good guys and these thugs have no value of life. Setting up a Gofundme for the family is a great idea. I am sure it would be helpful and they would appreciate it.
I will say this.. We have a whole generation of lost hopeless angry youth, many of whom have turned to crime and violence.. its born out of neglect, poverty, non functioning families, no jobs, and many other things. No excuses for them,but the reality is we have inadequate overcrowded schools. We have lack of housing. We have inadequate medical services. We have no family services..or very limited...
There is nothing much here to help youth who are at risk so they get more and more lost until they become completely anti social and beyond help.
It is a sad state of affairs.

So true B.

http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-ma...in-custody.html

When such an event as ths happns, it shatters our sense of sfety and well being as a community, There is no excuse for violence. Too often criminal behavior is rationalized by the perps family. Enough! Take these $h*tbags and confin them to a maximum security institution in a 10 by12 cell 24/7 without amenities or human contact They'll pray for death. This poliice officer's family and friends now serve a life sentnce without all the joys of the life he might had.Our prayersfor all the people of St.Martin especially those of this man's family and friends.

Hopefully the second person arrested today is the other person involved in the shooting and robbery.

Ditto this sentiment.

Please let me know if a fundraiser is organized. We would like to contribute to honoring this hero, who loved his island home and was doing a job he loved. He protected us all. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I'm hazy on that... thought there was another name and that this guy allegedly hid evidence. We'll find out. His name is out there and the police want to get him before angry mobs can. Lots of people are really angry about this.

Everyone deserves their day in court. However, maybe if the angry mobs get to him first, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Officer Benji has passed away this afternoon. a sad day for all of St Maarten

So unfortunate. My prayers are with his family.
My husband is a police officer and what they have to go through and are subjected to on a day to day basis is unsettling. Especially here in the U.S. after Ferguson and Baltimore.

Barbara, so very sorry for the loss of your beloved Police Officer.....kate <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/canada.gif" alt="" />

A terrible day....

although we knew it was coming it's so very sad-I hope that someone will start a fund for his family that we can contribute to.

Officer Benjamin has passed away, one arrest made

I sent a message to police spokesperson Ricardo Henson about that moments ago. There should be one "fund" and he would be the first one to know what the official fund might be. I'll post what I hear.

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RIP