A Bahamas Department of Corrections prison guard was found yesterday morning in a prisoner’s cell at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station, hanging from a make shift rope in an apparent suicide.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Stephen Dean in a brief statement to the press outside of the police station noted that the prison guard had spent the night before, after an alleged domestic dispute matter.
“What we can tell you is police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the apparent death of a male officer from The Bahamas Department of Corrections, who was in custody for a domestic matter.
“Shortly before 11 this morning, police on duty at the Elizabeth Estate Police Station, while doing their routine check of the holding cell where this individual was in custody, they found him hanging from a piece of string, rope to his neck,” Mr. Dean said.
Mr. Dean noted that the quick thinking of the police officers on duty made an attempt to revive the male along with a medical team from the Elizabeth Estates Clinic.
“As a result the officers took decisive action, they seek the assistance from the nearby clinic. Medical personnel from the clinic came to offer some sort of CPR to revive this person.
“EMS came on the scene and transported him to the hospital,” Mr. Dean said.
When asked what procedures were in place to ensure the safety of prisoners in the cells at the station, Mr. Dean noted that all of the police stations have systems in place that are carried out routinely.
“The police do our best, we have systems in place. We have procedures that we do routine checks but we don’t strip no one naked in the cell, people have clothing on.
“So people could find creative ways to do things but that all will come out in the investigation that’s only speculation so we will have an active investigation on this matter,” Mr. Dean said.
No identification was made of the male prison guard as his next of kin was not notified at the time.
The matter remains under active investigation and has since been turned over Her Majesty’s Coroner’s office.
