The four men were scheduled to be charged with murder in a magistrate’s court this morning.
The shooting death pushed the murder count for 2007 to 79.
Constable 2827 Ramos Williams, 26, the first policeman killed on the job this year, had five years’ experience under his belt.
According to police, sometime around 2:55 Saturday morning, three officers from the Wulff Road Police Station were riding in the Shirley Street area in a marked neighbourhood police vehicle and were about to turn on to Collins Avenue when their attention was drawn to a dark coloured Nissan Sentra exiting Collins Avenue going on to Shirley Street.
The plainclothes officers became suspicious of the vehicle and began to pursue it, Chief Superintendent of Police Hulan Hanna said.
The vehicle then turned onto Deveaux Street and came to a stop in an area just in the rear of the Tribune newspaper building, according to police.
Police said the officers exited the vehicle and immediately there was an exchange of gunfire resulting in the police vehicle being sprayed with bullets on the right front fender and the constable being struck in the upper left chest and arm region.
The officer was discovered lying behind a trailer in the back of the Sign Man building, police reported.
"In the midst of this, the officers who were in the vehicle, realizing that a colleague was down and realizing the environment was quite hostile and very active, were courageous enough to arrest one of the suspects," Mr. Hanna reported.
"We have that person in custody. Our fallen colleague was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital where he was pronounced DOA (dead on arrival) sometime around 3:10am."
The incident occurred just across the street from the hospital.
Police press liaison, Assistant Superintendent Walter Evans, reported yesterday that two men turned themselves in to the police in connection with the shooting.
The first man, a 29-year-old resident of the Wulff Road area, turned himself in around 10 o’clock Saturday morning, Mr. Evans said.
Around 5:30 that afternoon a 28-year-old Pinewood Gardens resident also surrendered to the police.
Police reported last night that a fourth suspect was arrested yesterday morning in the Coconut Grove area with the "assistance" of his relatives.
Following the shooting, Mr. Hanna said, "We are concerned when things like this happen because it sends a clear message…an assault on law enforcement officers in this brazen fashion and in this area is clearly an assault on every right thinking and law abiding person in this country."
Acting Police Commissioner Reginald Ferguson said matters of this nature are extremely traumatic, not only for the officer’s family but also for his police comrades.
"Our condolence goes out to the family, the immediate family and indeed the extended family, the Royal Bahamas Police Force. That’s our fallen brother. An assault on law enforcement is an extremely serious matter for which we will exert all of our energies to bring this matter to closure in as short a time as possible," he said.
Mr. Hanna said that the constable’s death underscores the point that the country can never fully compensate police officers for their service.
"We are not talking money here, but you can never fully appreciate the service that an individual seeks to give to his country when he steps into this uniform and decides he is going to stand up for law and order in this country," he said.
The police force chaplain was counseling those closest to the deceased, according to police.
Police have asked members of the public with any information related to the matter to contact them at 328-8477.
BACARDI MURDER
Police also reported last night that a woman in her late 40s is in custody in connection with the stabbing death of Anthony Colebrooke of Sunset Park, who was found lying in the street in the Bacardi Road area around 6pm Wednesday.
Police said he was taken to hospital where he was treated for his injuries and died around 10pm.
She was also expected to be charged with murder this morning.
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