Tobago cops probe brawl caught on video

Tobago police probing a heated brawl during which a gunshot was fired in Bon Accord on Tuesday after video of the fracas surfaced on social media over the weekend.

“I am aware of the particular incident. The police are currently pursuing the persons involved in that incident and as a result I cannot say much on it,” Snr Supt Joanne Archie, Tobago Regional Commander said yesterday.

In the 2 minutes, 20 seconds video, posted on Facebook, men are seen arguing bearing cutlasses and boulders, while another man stormed in with a firearm, believed to be a 9 mm pistol, before firing a shot into the air causing those gathered to scatter.

Sources said the incident occurred at Four Roads, Bon Accord on Tuesday evening.

A businessman said he saw the video on social media, as he highlighted that there is a lot of anger in the country coupled with too many illegal firearms being easily accessible.

“That situation to me could have got out of hand, where are these guns coming from, how are they getting here. I think presently this country, in general, has seen an increase of death by firearms due over the last few years. That incident could have led to one where we learnt of a murder… It could have been a case of murder in the area, we can’t and should not be living that way. We have to get back to those values which Jesus Christ came to teach us,” he said.

With that he called for stiffer penalties to be imposed on people found in possession of a firearm.

“Recently I saw where a man was held with a firearm right here in Tobago and fined $3,000 to me that doesn’t make sense. What kind of message are we sending, if you get caught with a gun you pay a measly $3,000 and that’s it, that could never be fair, so I think that we need tougher penalties when persons are found in possession of a firearm,” he said.

Electoral representative Clarence Jacob yesterday said while he was out of the country, the issue was brought to his attention. However, he declined further comment, indicating the police were investigating the report.