A daring daylight high-speed chase, yesterday morning, turned deadly for one of the occupants of what police believed to be a stolen vehicle, a dark colored Nissan Cube, which crashed into a heavy steel gate in Pride Estates.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Stephen Dean, officers of the mobile unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), who were on patrol, spotted the car with three men behaving suspiciously and attempted to stop the vehicle; however, to no avail.

“Today, officers were on routine patrol from the mobile division of Carmichael Road, when they spotted a car with three suspicious men inside.

“They suspected the car to be stolen, the officers beckoned to the vehicle to stop, but the vehicle took off with a high rate of speed.

“A chase ensued through several little corners and communities of New Providence in the western area that ended here at Pride Estates where the men crashed into a wall,” ACP Dean said.

ACP Dean said the impact of the car to the steel gate did not hamper the men as they emerged from the vehicle shooting, which prompted the officers to discharge their weapons.

“They came out and they opened fire on the police. Police returned fire. Through the exchange of gunfire, the police who are well-trained for incidents such as this, shot two of the men.

“Two handguns were recovered from the men; we can tell you now that two of the men were rushed to hospital where one has succumb to his injuries and one remains in critical condition,” ACP Dean said.

In his comments to reporters ACP Dean sent out a warning to those who take part in criminal activities.

“The message that we want to get out is to the criminal element. You are committing crime. Believe that you can commit crime and destroy our country.

“We are telling you that the police will not stop. You cannot escape the arms of the law. You cannot escape the long arms of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“We will be out there to find you. We will be out there to arrest you. We will take you into custody. This is just a warning to some of the criminal elements out there.

“We have a number of others who we will be bringing into custody. We are telling you do not challenge the police on the road. If you engage the police, be prepared for the consequences,” ACP Dean said.

Still in the preliminary stages of the investigation into this incident, ACP Dean said the police believe that the men in the vehicle were a part of a bigger picture.

“We are in the preliminary stage of our investigations and we can tell you by our initial investigations that they may be a part of a stolen car rink because we found several license plates.

“We have also found that the license plate that is affixed to the vehicle does not belong to the vehicle. So, we have a number of things we will be quizzing them on. We have a deep feeling that they may be able to assist us with some of these investigations,” ACP Dean said.

Appealing to the public in light of the recent spate of violence, ACP Dean told reporters that the RBPF is working to ensure the safety of Bahamians, notwithstanding those that help them with investigations and those who may know of persons that commit criminal acts.

“Despite some acts of violence, I can tell you that the police are out in full force in every area of New Providence.

“What we have here is an absolute excellent example of police work. We told members of the public that the police will be out in full force to ensure their safety and peace and tranquility in our community.

“We want to thank the members of the public who continue to support the police despite what you hear in the media, despite what you hear on the streets.

“Members of the Bahamian public are supporting the police. We cannot solve these matters without the public.

“So, we want to thank the Bahamian public. We ask you, if you know where guns are, if you know where drugs are, because these are the things that are fueling our crime rate. We are asking you to turn those persons in. Do not be afraid, do not allow these criminals to take over our community,” ACP Dean said.

This is the latest incident that follows an early morning fatal shooting on Third Street, Coconut Grove.

These matters are under active investigation.