GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman — A 35-year-old West Bay man remains in police custody following a violent altercation in George Town on Wednesday, 24 June, which left a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) officer injured.
While on duty in the Seymour Road area, officers spotted an individual matching the description of a suspect wanted for a previous assault on a police officer. After positively identifying the man, officers ordered him to stay put.
The suspect refused to comply, attempted to flee, and violently resisted arrest—at one point throwing an object at the officers, though it did not strike them. Officers deployed a baton to safely subdue and detain him.
During the struggle, one officer sustained a shoulder injury. He was transported to the hospital, treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and subsequently released.
The suspect was already being sought in connection with a separate incident on Friday, 19 June, at a liquor-licensed establishment on Eastern Avenue.
In that earlier incident, a police officer attempted to intervene in a physical altercation involving the suspect. The 35-year-old allegedly assaulted another individual before turning on the officer, assaulting them, and fleeing the scene.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from Police Commissioner Kurt Walton, who highlighted a worrying trend of violence against law enforcement in the Cayman Islands.
"Over the past three years, the RCIPS has recorded more than 86 incidents of assault against police officers," Commissioner Walton said. "In addition to the impact on the physical well-being of officers who were injured while on-duty, these incidents affect operational capacity and, ultimately, the service we provide to our communities. Assaults on police officers are completely unacceptable.”
The Commissioner added that such violence severely damages staff morale and hinders recruitment efforts for the service.
"Serving officers should not have to face violence for carrying out their lawful duties," Walton emphasized. "We will continue to take decisive action against anyone who assaults a police officer."
The suspect remains in custody as investigations continue.