A Grand Bahama family is seeking accountability from law enforcement following a controversial police-involved shooting in Eight Mile Rock that left 49-year-old father of four Jorel Saltine wounded. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Russell Town area, sparking allegations of excessive force and procedural violations.
According to Cecil Celo Similien, the victim’s brother, Saltine was shot outside their family residence without justification. “I was home when I heard a gunshot,” Similien recounted. “I came out, and I heard that my little brother got shot in the yard.” He emphatically denied police assertions that Saltine was armed, stating no weapons or drugs were found on his brother following the shooting.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force provided an alternative account, indicating the confrontation began around 5pm on December 28 when officers on patrol observed a man in the Cemetery Road area who fled upon noticing them. Police claim that during the pursuit, the suspect held his waistband and entered an abandoned structure. Upon exiting, officers alleged he pointed a black object in their direction, prompting one officer to discharge his weapon and strike the suspect in the right foot.
Law enforcement officials confirmed the wounded man was transported to Rand Memorial Hospital, where medical staff determined his injuries were non-life-threatening. After treatment, he was discharged into police custody and remains detained at Central Police Station.
The family has raised serious concerns about police procedures following the incident. Similien questioned why no ambulance was summoned to the scene and criticized the premature removal of his brother from medical care. “That could have never happened in the United States,” he stated. “Any question that they needed to ask would have been done in the hospital.”
Similien further challenged the narrative that his brother posed a threat, asking: “If you chasing an individual and this individual have his back turn, shouldn’t you give a warning shot?” He expressed frustration with what he perceives as systemic protection of officers, stating: “In The Bahamas, we got this thing that the police is always right, which is wrong.”
The family has also alleged that the involved officer had previously been instructed by courts not to enter their property and accused senior officers of covering up misconduct. “It is a shame when the system that’s supposed to be protecting the citizen is the same system that is corrupt and abusing their power,” Similien asserted.
Expressing little confidence in official complaints mechanisms, Similien described the process as ineffective: “To go lodge a complaint is just like you writing something and you taking it and fold the paper up and throw it in the garbage.” He claimed that when attempting to file a report, he was dismissed by officers, suggesting discriminatory treatment based on his Rastafarian appearance.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force has confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing through its Complaint and Corruption Branch, which accepts reports through multiple channels including in-person submissions, written correspondence, and electronic communications.