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PRINTTwo men and a male juvenile were arrested Sunday in connection with the Saturday armed robbery and subsequent shooting of two Virgin Islands Police Department officers.
The department announced Monday that detectives from the Criminal Investigation Bureau arrested Alphonso J. "Country Black" Butler Jr., 23, about 7:45 a.m.; Melville Parris, 52, a few minutes before 6 p.m.; and a 16-year-old male, all on Sunday.
Bail for the adult suspects was set at $500,000 each, which they were unable to post. Butler and Parris were remanded to the custody of the Golden Grove Correctional Facility. The teen was remanded to the Youth Rehabilitation Center.
Police said they are still searching for additional suspects.
According to police, officers received a report at about 8:40 p.m. Saturday that three armed men had entered the Cane Bay restaurant, robbing patrons of their cash and jewelry. Shots were reportedly fired during the robbery but no one was injured there, police said. The suspects fled in a gray compact car.
Police established several road blocks and conducted other initiatives to identify, locate and arrest the suspects. St. Croix Police Chief Christopher Howell and Officer Elsworth Jones were on one such roadblock when a vehicle approached and opened fire.
Howell was shot in the left arm and lower back and Jones' face was injured by shrapnel and gunfire, according to personnel at the Juan F. Luis Memorial Hospital. Monday they continued to be listed in stable condition, according to VIPD Public Information Officer Melody Rames.
Criminal Investigation Bureau detectives said a citizen provided police with a tip that "proved to be crucial" to the apprehension of Butler, the first suspect arrested. Butler was apprehended without incident Sunday morning in the Frangiapani section of Mon Bijou.
Police said that when he was arrested, Butler was carrying a large amount of cash and ammunition.
Butler lives in the Mutual Homes apartments in Estate Grove Place. Police said he has a criminal record and is on probation.
Continued investigation by the detectives led officers to request a warrant for the arrest of Parris. Also known as "Libber," Parris lives in Estate Grove Place, and officers said Parris has an "extensive" criminal record and was recently released from jail.
Police Commissioner Henry W. White Jr. said federal partners augmented the VIPD in the search of the suspects, providing air, land and sea support by the Coast Guard, Homeland Security and agents from the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, but the commissioner credited the VIPD and the Virgin Islands community for the capture and arrest of the suspects.
"It has been the proudest moment I've had since becoming a part of the VIPD," White said. "I had the opportunity to see firsthand the officers respond to two critical incidents almost simultaneously. Both crime scenes and subsequent investigations were conducted with the utmost professionalism. The training acquired by the officers was clearly evident as they conducted a 'full court press' at both crime scenes."
White added that the investigation into a second Saturday night incident, the shooting murder of Ecliff James, is actively being investigated.
"Officers are examining forensic information gathered at the scene and are aggressively pursuing all leads," he said.
Put the gallows back in Gallows Bay. Trot out everybody from the housing communities so they can watch this human garbage hang.
Iriestx, what you've posted here might sound too harsh to many, but I agree you... These miscreants along with their families and friends need to suffer as the family and friends of their victims have suffered... If these fiends want to live by the sword of injustice, then they must die by the sword of justice... When I was growing up, my father used to tell me this, whenever he had to discipline me, "Who don't hear by the cracking of the whip, will hear by the tolling of the bell."... A solid, stern message needs to be sent to those in the U.S.V.I. who feel that they're above the law and chose to maliciously take the lives of others and those who are contemplating it...
Yes I do hope that the solid stern message that you want sent also includes the governor and senators who feels that they are above the law. Especially that Chucky Hansen who is sitting illegaly and the governor who took 500,000 of the people money to fix up his house.
Very happy to read that a citizen had the integrity and guts to provide the tip to the police. If the community condemns and refuses to tolerate crime, this is a positive step.
"an "extensive" criminal record and was recently released from jail." The only way that garbage like this gets to have an "extensive" criminal record is because he is allowed to. He obviously has no desire to live the straight life among us and therefore he should either be outsourced to a Chinese prison where he can enjoy his bowl of rice each day or as Iriestx suggests . . . walk his sorry tired a$$ to Gallows Bay and be rid of this sub human garbage once and for all and for all the right reasons. He should never again be allowed to walk among normal human beings again. Why? Because he is not normal. And neither are his garbage mates.
Somebody is always somebody's couisn/nephew/brother/uncle/child, so they get released time and time again.
VI corruption at work.
Can't create an unfriendly atmosphere for the prisoners. We must fly them around to play basketball. . . remember??????? Bring Joe Arpaio from Arizona down to show the governor how to run a jail. Balogna sandwich and water. No air conditioning and Disney and the weather channel for entertainment. All within legal bounds.
I so agree with you about Joe Arpaio. I LOVE what he does.
Agree with you as well Cgtstx... What people here may not know, in China, there's no such thing as death row like it is under the US flag... Once you commit violent crimes, it is indeed punishable by death, and they do most certainly carry it out... When execution day arrives, they round up those malefactors and load them into a truck, parade them through the busiest streets of their communities letting the public know that they're going to be executed for their extreme crimes... Once they do that they get taken to a field where China's finest get to privately use their firearms on them... Afterwards, they will notify their families of these offenders of passing through the court system... I personally think, that hard time and labour needs to be established within the correction's system of the U.S.V.I., make criminals with lesser crimes work the ground and earn their daily bread and water... Put them out on the streets in chain gangs to clean them, as well as the guts that are all clogged up with debris... Where's the protection, or the service?!? Give the taxpayers their money's worth, give the citizens justice!!!
Congratulations to the police dept. for a job well done in apprehending these miscreants.
Well wishes for a speedy recovery for the officer and Chief injured by the shootings.
These thieves and would be killers need to have the book thrown at them and the key thrown away. It is unfortuante that our tax dollars must fund their stay in the correctional facility. These men (including the 16 yr. old - where were his parents?)are a threat to society. They deserve harsh and severe penalties. It is by the grace of God that the officers were not killed, outright and everyone managed to survive their encounter with these dangerous hoodlums.
"It is unfortuante that our tax dollars must fund their stay in the correctional facility."Alana, I agree. It costs somewhere between 40 and 60 thousand dollars a year to house each of this garbage. I am serious when I suggest that they be "outsourced" to a Chinese prison. However it is arranged, it will be a small fraction of that cost to keep them. Well being? I'm as concerned for their well being as they are for any of the people here that they terrorize. Let them live their sorry worthless lives out of sight and out of mind and out of this territory. Let US/WE live in peace and safety and enjoy OUR lives in this "paradise" free of this criminal garbage.
This case brings up the ridiculous policy of not naming the minor,in this case a 16 year old. I'd like to know why the public doesn't have the right to know that they have a criminal in their midst because we all know this kid won't remain at YRC very long and the likelihood of
future criminal activity is very high.
I don't find the perps young age a very compelling argument for anonymity and it surely doesn't send a very strong message of condemnation on the part of the community that we "baby" these young offenders. The violence of the act should be factored in when withholding a teens name from the public. Armed robbery and accessory to murder isn't the same as smoking pot, fighting or vandalism.
I most certainly agree with you there Etownster... When I was in the UK several years ago, some minors took it upon themselves to attack and rape a female tourist... Well, let me tell you, the law officials there released to the media not only the names of all the offenders, but their pictures as well as who their parents were and where they hailed from... I think this policy of keeping under-aged offenders anonymous should be done away with... Parents who allow their children to run wild and unchecked in such fashion need to be publicly humiliated for their laxness...
This is insane. The Police and Government look inept. A few secuity cameras would get all the evidence needed. This is 2012. This is an island. It should not be that hard. You can't keep being corrupt and covering up for your inbred relatives folks. Snap out of it before you do yourself in too.
Everyone have written the truths about these bums. But the bottom line is that the VI is a safe haven for criminals. The only reason these three have such a high bond is only because officers got hurt, glad they are alive. Just read the old articles of these clowns (KILLING) someone, the bond is set at $75,000.00, two officers got shot, bond is set at half a million dollars, what a d@#n joke with this justice system. Gun crimes has gone unchecked in my opinion. In my opinion, if you shoot someone, you should have a minimum bond of a Million Dollars, you kill someone, there should be no bond! If one or more persons is with that shooter, they too should have high bonds, but the idea is to keep accused murders, gangsters, shottas or what ever they call themselves, locked behind bars, or even under the jail. I do agree that the Governor and the senators along with Judges which he appointed all needs to be nicely placed behind bars also, corruption will never die in my homeland.
Stand firm.
Smile4you and STX_voice, you too are also right. Funny thing Smile4you, about 3 years and 12 days ago, I wrote the Police Commissioner, Novelle E. Francis at the time, concerning the situation. In my letter I told him:
1.) To install more security cameras in strategic locations all over the territory.
2.) I also told him to look into certain technologies that would aide in their crime-frighting efforts and reduce their response time to gun related incidents.
3.) I did indeed tell him that night patrols MUST become a part of the VIPD's routine. I also told him not just vehicular patrols either, but foot patrols in the strategic areas that would be backed up by vehicular patrols.
4.) I told him to reach out to other Caribbean police departments to gain more insight into other methods of dealing with the rampant crime taking place there.
5.) I also mentioned that every other form of securing the territory SHOULD NOT be overlooked either.
6.) I did tell him that parents and/or guardians of under-aged hooligans should be held responsible in some form.
I also told him that he had a strong and solid case in terms of getting monies from the senate to implement all of these plans.
The response I got from his office are the following:
1.) Receipt of your e-mail is acknowledged.
2.) Will be forwarded to the Commissioner.
3.) Your suggestion is already in the works.
4.) Thank you for your concern.
That was 3 years and 12 days ago folks, has the VIPD made any real, significant improvements since then?
STX_voice, most certainly I agree with you, especially about the bonds issued, it's a joke, especially when it comes to these vile lifeforms.
Take heed VIPD, this was posted on Trip advisor, so it is hurting your tourism. It is too bad, because 95% of the people on the island are good, honest, caring people that deserve to be able to make a decent living. This type of crime hurts everyone.