TRAGEDY gripped our nation yet again as a 26-year-old police officer, 2827 Ramos Williams, sacrificed his life for his country when he was brutally gunned down in the line of duty.
Reportedly, Constable Williams was shot early Saturday morning during an exchange of gunfire in a parking lot on Deveaux Street near The Tribune building. He was allegedly struck multiple times, receiving a fatal shot to the chest as he, along with two other plainclothes officers, left their marked police car and approached a vehicle they had stopped. Sadly, he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Princess Margaret Hospital around 3.10am.
Last year, a homicidal streak appeared to have hit our nation, as 79 persons were killed with about five suspicious deaths that remain unclassified. Constable Williams was the first officer killed in the line of duty in 2007, although Corporal Edison Bain was also found viciously bludgeoned to death on Grand Bahama (he was off-duty).
Even though Constable Williams was unarmed and without a bullet-proof vest, he was the embodiment of bravery and exemplified his commitment to his countrymen.
In speaking of her fallen comrade, Sergeant 233 Italia Williams of the Wulff Road Police Station (Ramos duty post) said:
“Williams had very promising future—this was definitely the place for him! He would have made an excellent supervisor and he would have surely been promoted up the ranks throughout the years to come. You never had to tell him something more than once—he always caught on quickly, and he was sharp and keen!”
“I remember Williams as a quiet, soft spoken and respectable young man. He came from Andros, he was an island boy who was reserved and quiet. He was a hard worker, so full of life and energy and always smiling. I remember him being so interested and excited about this job and about going on the road,” she said.
Sergeant Williams noted that although many people complain that the country’s youth is lost and that they are problematic and never heeding to good advice, “that was not Williams.” She said that he displayed respect to all people, regardless of their rank, their age or origins.
“Ramos was a real soldier! He was a real man!” Sergeant Williams exclaimed.
“I was just talking to an officer who was in the car with him that night. I wanted to know his disposition. As the officer was reminiscing, he said that Williams was real quiet that night. Strangely, he almost seemed a bit reluctant to go out that night.
“We just had a staff party at the station last Thursday, so that night, Williams and the other officers were clowning around before they went on the road. I remember them telling him he was ‘hard’ (slang for very well), teasing him about how he had cleared the dance floor that night”, she said, reminiscing.
In the wake of Constable Ramos’ death, the sergeant describes the initial mood at the station as being “somber, as officers were taken aback and in shock.”
“We didn’t even have a chance to laugh and reminisce about our party! We can’t believe he’s gone. He’s gonna be missed,” she said despondently.
In the Bahamas, the fear of crime has left many citizens practically incarcerated in their own homes. The peacefulness and harmony that once depicted the Bahamas is now lost to the ages.
At present, bloodthirsty hoodlums are roaming our streets, when they should be locked away in a prison cell, with the keys subsequently being tossed into a blue hole.
The police are fulfilling their social functions and apprehending criminals, but because of a defunct court system, these societal menaces are returned to the streets within 36 hours to 18 months. Surely, seeing these individuals on the streets must be a demoralising blow to dedicated police officers!
Presently, the police force is an ill-equipped, archaic institution that is tasked with combating well-equipped, cold-blooded criminals.
Although police officers are trained to handle firearms, in defensive driving, as first responders and are generally taught to be cautious, high ranking sources say that officers are only issued their uniforms upon graduating.
Although Constable Williams was trained in firearms, he did not have a weapon nor did he wear a bullet proof vest.
One source said: “Vests are usually donated to the Force by good corporate citizens, and there’s not enough to give every officer. Many times, officers invest in their safety and purchase their own. We even have to buy our own handcuffs.
“The police force is ancient and there are not many guns to distribute to officers. Many officers go to bring resolution to incidents without weapons. It’s so sad that we have to lose before we gain,” the source said.
Why hasn’t the government furnished the police force with the equipment needed to combat 21st century thugs, who have the latest automatic weaponry while police officers are unarmed, ill-equipped or given ancient six shooters? Not equipping a police officer with a gun and a vest is comparable to sending a fisherman to catch fish without a line!
A full military funeral doesn’t seem to be enough in appreciation of a man who has made the ultimate sacrifice. Constable Williams gave his life upholding his commitment to ‘protect and serve’ and we should be proud of him and say “thank you”.
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