During the August Emancipation Festival period, police arrested two men in separate incidents and charged each with carrying a firearm without a licence and unlawful possession of explosives, according to the Police Information Office.

The first arrest occurred in the early hours of Aug. 2.

“The suspect was initially observed in the Festival Village area, where officers identified suspicious behaviour suggesting he might be armed,” police said in a statement released the same day. “To ensure public safety, a tactical decision was made to monitor the individual until he moved to a less crowded location.

Officers maintained surveillance as the suspect relocated and then safely engaged with him outside a nightclub on the outskirts of Road Town.”

In a separate press release published Friday, police identified the man as Miguel Weekes, 32, of West End.

He was found carrying a Glock nine-millimetre semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition, according to police.

Second arrest

Two days after Ms. Weekes’ arrest, police arrested the other man.

“Kei-Andre Williams, 22, of McNamara, was arrested at the Rise and Shine Tramp after being found in possession of a Glock 40 semi-automatic pistol loaded with seven 0.40-calibre rounds of ammunition,” police stated in the Friday press release.

As of Friday, both men were in custody pending court appearances, police said.
Police have not provided further information about either incident.

Asking for help

Acting Police Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool urged the public to help her officers prevent crime.

“We continue to take decisive action to remove illegal firearms from our streets, particularly during the Festival period when large crowds gather,” she said. “These seizures reflect our ongoing commitment to keeping the public safe, and we commend our officers for their vigilance.”

Anyone with information about illegal weapons or other suspicious activity can call the police Intelligence Unit at 368-9339 or report information anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 800-8477 (TIPS) locally or 284-800-8477 from overseas, police said.