A grieving mother in The Bahamas is challenging the official police narrative surrounding her son’s death in custody, demanding an independent autopsy and vowing to pursue legal action. Cheryl Larrimore’s son, Lasheiko Pratt, a 35-year-old mechanic with the Ministry of Works, died during a reported struggle with officers at the Fox Hill Police Station on Thursday morning.
Pratt had been detained for two days on burglary charges and was scheduled for a court appearance when the incident occurred. Authorities, represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police Anton Rahming, stated that officers intervened after Pratt refused to leave his cell and became aggressive. ACP Rahming reported that four officers were ultimately involved in restraining and handcuffing him, during which the detainee became unresponsive. The police asserted that the force used was deemed necessary to subdue an aggressive individual.
Ms. Larrimore offers a starkly different account, fueled by profound distrust. Having identified her son’s body at the morgue, she noted an absence of visible bruises, which only deepened her family’s confusion and suspicion. She described her son as a “very nice, quiet person” and found the official story illogical, stating, “He gone in there, healthy, good as ever, and then come out in a body bag. That cannot be.”
The family’s distrust is compounded by the circumstances of how they were notified. Ms. Larrimore was already at the Magistrate’s Court expecting to sign bail for her only son when he failed to appear. She claims the police never contacted her about his death; she instead learned the devastating news through a social media post her daughter discovered.
This case marks the first in-custody death since the highly publicized February 2013 incidents involving Jamie Smith and Aaron Rolle, who died within 24 hours of each other. Ms. Larrimore also questioned the burglary charge itself, suggesting it stemmed from a longstanding and jealous dispute with a neighbor, not criminal intent.
With the family seeking justice and transparency, this incident raises serious questions about police accountability, custodial procedures, and the breakdown of trust between the community and those sworn to protect it.