News

Shortly after 1:00PM, 11 September, officers received a report that a woman at Seven Mile Public Beach had brandished a knife and attacked officers from the Department of Commerce & Investment (DCI) and the Public Lands Commission (PLC). She then fled the location.

Soon after, RCIPS officers located the woman at a nearby establishment. When approached by officers she began to act in an aggressive manner and threatened officers with bladed weapons. The woman resisted arrest, injuring two of the officers, but was subsequently restrained and arrested on suspicion of making threats to cause serious harm, carrying a prohibited weapon, causing fear or provocation of violence and resisting arrest.

After the woman was arrested, she escaped from custody in the vicinity of the intersection of West Bay Road and North Church Street, where she ran towards the shoreline, carrying a knife and another bladed object.

The woman then entered the water, where she remained uncooperative, making threats to the officers and herself. RCIPS negotiators, and a local pastor, attended the location, and attempted to negotiate with the woman over a number of hours, including providing options for her to deescalate the situation and return to shore safely. Port Authority and Coast Guard vessels were also deployed to the location to assist.

After a period of time it became evident that the woman would not come to shore on her own, and due to the fear that self-harm was imminent, the decision was taken to approach the woman and take her into custody.

As the woman was armed with bladed weapons, RCIPS firearms officers, carrying less-lethal shotguns with bean bag rounds, approached her. The woman continued to brandish the knife and scissors, threatening officers and herself, who then discharged bean bag rounds to subdue her and enable a safe arrest. She continued to resist, but was eventually restrained, and was taken into custody on the Coast Guard vessel. The vessel was met at a nearby dock by EMS. The woman was given medical treatment for minor injuries and remains in police custody.

Multiple officers from RCIPS, DCI and PLC received injuries during the series of incidents and were given medical attention. One officer remains at the Cayman Islands Hospital in stable condition. All other officers received treatment and have since been released.

The matter remains under investigation and the Ombudsman has been notified for an independent review.

“The RCIPS thanks all persons that were involved in this incident, including our officers whose bravery and actions resulted in the safe disarmament and arrest of this woman, and members of the community who assisted the officers on scene” says Chief Superintendent Brad Ebanks. “We wish all of our law enforcement officers a swift recovery”.