The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) has made one arrest and is pursuing additional suspects in connection with a violent altercation at the KFC branch in Vieux Fort on May 10. The incident, which involved a man and a woman, gained national attention after a viral video captured a man slapping a police officer attempting to intervene.
ACP Charlery confirmed ongoing investigations during a press briefing and issued a strong appeal to the remaining suspects to surrender to law enforcement. Charlery disclosed that despite several visits to the suspects' residences, police have not yet been able to locate the individuals.
“We have been to the residence on a number of occasions and unfortunately we have not been successful in apprehending these individuals.”
Charlery revealed that the suspects' relatives have been informed of the situation, and he made a direct plea for the wanted individuals to present themselves to authorities.
“The information has been communicated to the parents, loved ones. So to those persons who may be viewing this press conference, we want to give you the opportunity to turn yourselves in to the police. You know you were present at the incident. You know what your contribution would have been in terms of hampering what was going on.”
The ACP emphasized that while law enforcement has other methods to apprehend the suspects, they are extending a grace period to allow voluntary surrender: “There are other avenues that we can pursue, but we would like to give them some time to make themselves available.”
In addition to the update on the investigation, Charlery issued a warning to the public about the dangers of obstructing police officers in the line of duty.
“I want to take the opportunity to encourage members of the public to provide support instead of making it difficult for the police or any other government agency to go about executing their duties. When you do that, you are opening up yourself for further issues.”
The RSLPF continues to urge anyone with information about the incident or the individuals involved to come forward.
