Dear Source,
My heartfelt condolences to the family of retired police officer Liston Gumbs. Our paths would cross many times over the four years I worked on st thomas as a reporter and he was the forendics officer for the VI Police Department. It is ironic and unfortunate that his quiet demeanor and warm smile was snuffed out by some reckless, eraseable action. It was afterall, Mr. Gumbs' expertise that helped VIPD solve some of the many crimes on the island.
I learned of Gumbs' death through a press release Monday and called two officers who I know knew him and both confirmed that he had been shot but that he was alive. I woke up very early this morning to check The Source and found out that was not the case, that he had since died.
I am still grappling with the news. You do not work with cops – in my case 12 years – covering crime and not get to know them personally. They become like family and today I lost one of the best father-figure that came through the VIPD. Mr. Gumbs quiet demeanor will be missed. If you happened to get one of his smiles, it would brighten up a room and your day for that matter – even years after whenever I would meet him by chance on my visits to St. Thomas from St. Croix where I have lived since 1998. He also always had words of encouragement and long before he retired, doing the Lord's work was always a a part of his life. He was never shy about this and routinely passed out prayer pamphlets during those chance meetings when we unfortunately met at crime scenes before he retired. I take solace in believing that God wanted him home and hope his family find peace in reaching that same conclusion. My condolences to his Police family and all those who knew him.
Eunice Bedminster
St. Croix
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