Seized jet ski found in Parkside territory
A man who apparently wielded a machine gun outside Woody's Bar in Sandys did so on territory associated with the Money Over B*tches gang (MOB).Police gang expert Alex Rollin stated during a court case earlier this year that West-End-based MOB are engaged in a feud with the Pembroke-based Parkside gang.Yesterday, MOB gang graffiti could be seen spray-painted on walls and roads in the Boaz Island neighbourhood where Woody's is located.Sgt Rollin said during other court cases that Parkside has a presence in Spanish Point — the area where the jet ski suspected to have been used to get away from Woody's was found (see main story here).Asked if Parkside are suspected to be responsible, Detective Chief Inspector Nicholas Pedro replied: “We're keeping all of our options open.“We don't know who's committed [it] at this point and that's why we're going to the public and to the media to get some assistance with that.“You will appreciate that on the face of it, this appears gang-related, but we will go where the evidence takes us.”The Woody's incident came in the wake of 15 confirmed firearm crimes between January 1 and Sunday, August 25 this year.They included two murders and three people injured. During the same time period, there were 16 instances in which police recovered guns or ammunition. The latest statistics were provided by police yesterday.Asked if this is the first Bermuda case involving what appears to be a machine gun, Det Ch Insp Pedro replied: “It's difficult to say. We know there's a number of firearms out there in the community that we haven't recovered.“Quite often they use the same types of ammunition so it's difficult to say conclusively that a machine gun — for want of a better term — has been used. But we have also recovered a number of machine gun type firearms in recent years, including an AK47, so it's not unheard of.“This is by no means the first instance we've encountered these types of weapons, if that indeed is what is on this photo.”No bullets were fired at Woody's and Det Ch Insp Pedro said it is difficult to know why.“There's a number of reasons that we are looking at. First of all, it might not be a real firearm that's always a possibility,” he said.“It could be user error — it could be that this person's not very proficient in using a firearm and simply in the heat of the moment didn't know what to do, or indeed it could be that it jammed on trying to fire it. We simply don't know.”There have been 18 murders since an upsurge in gang-related gun crime in May 2009 — ten of which remain unsolved.Freddy Maybury, 34, was murdered outside Woody's in June 2010. No one has been charged in connection with the killing.The victim's family said he had no gang links — police have refused to comment.
Woody's Restaurant is “not at all” gang turf, proprietor Wayne Tucker told
The Royal Gazette.He insisted its staff and regulars have been linked unfairly with gangs and he was mystified by Saturday evening's apparent gun threat outside the drive-in.Mr Tucker also said he didn't recognise the figure caught on the bar's security footage.“As far as I know, that particular night there was a county game in Southampton, and a group of people were celebrating winning the cup.“They arrived here, and maybe a half-hour later the incident happened. I don't know if they were followed, but that seems to be the sequence of events.”Angered by early — and mistaken — reports that the gunman had entered the bar itself, Mr Tucker said only the group congregated on the sound-facing side of the establishment was even aware of the threat.“Around the other side, no one knew what had happened,” he said.Around 10pm, when the incident occurred, Woody's contained “people of all ages — primarily respectful patrons”.“Bars are places people frequent after-hours, and you don't really know who they are,” he said. “After one, two in the morning, people come out Island-wide with different types of attire. I wouldn't have a clue how to identify them.”However, he added: “It's not like we are an easy hangout for gangs. They can't just hang out here if they want to. There is a police presence around here. But after-hours, all manner of people come out.”The proprietor said the police investigation had focused exclusively on “the Hamilton and Spanish Point area” rather than the West End.“As far as I know, they came from across the water. We're just ordinary people around here. We're the victims, getting branded with this.”He said he had no idea what had been behind the apparent threat to patrons and he called gangs an Island-wide matter for concern.“Why it happens is for police to get to the bottom of. All we can supply are cameras, security and a comfortable atmosphere.”
