In Prison in St Lucia

[rpoint16]

Originally Posted by boatman61

The post mortem is important here... cause of death... blow to the head or system failure due to exertion/secondry drowning..
To me it appears as manslaughter (possibly) or death by mis-adventure... more likely... but whatever he's gonna be inside for a while till it gets sorted. Biggest danger is the relatives and connections if the dead guys a local...

I wish the gentleman & his family the best. I hope his government gets actively involved.

Now my rant; If I am anywhere & get boarded day or night, and if I suspect my life or the lives of my wife or crew is at risk, I will do anything in my power to protect them & myself. If people board your vessle you have absolutly no idea of thier intentions, so expect the worst.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by rpoint16

Now my rant; If I am anywhere & get boarded day or night, and if I suspect my life or the lives of my wife or crew is at risk, I will do anything in my power to protect them & myself. If people board your vessle you have absolutly no idea of thier intentions, so expect the worst.

Then you will be in jail for the rest of your life.

What do you not understand about "the rest of your life"?

You can NOT go killing people because some poor black person is trying to steal a bucket off your deck.

Now, the "rest of your life" means how long?

You can not kill people!

Remember if you kill some Caribbean local and are charged with murder and you finaly get to court in a years time hence... Who are the jury going to be? 12 cruisers? Or 12 local people who know, or know of the decesaeseds family?

So instead of blowing their frigging heads off you use capsican spray, or a flare gun or something non leathal. Not a shot gun.

Lastly, go pull up a Google Image search of the inside of a USA jail. Now do a search on a third world jail. Do you really want a year in the third world jail while you try to prove your "rights"?

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

You can NOT go killing people because some poor black person is trying to steal a bucket off your deck.

Talk about a baiting post. This thread isn't about guns, race, or killing (the "possible" victim swam away!)...but you and others are making it about that so it will get closed and we'll have to guess what ends up happening.

[boatsail]

Based on the thread...Does not sound like he did anything wrong if you ask me. Anyone in their right mind would have done the same. hope they let him out after a quick trial.

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Then you will be in jail for the rest of your life.

What do you not understand about "the rest of your life"?

You can NOT go killing people because some poor black person is trying to steal a bucket off your deck.

Now, the "rest of your life" means how long?

You can not kill people!

Remember if you kill some Caribbean local and are charged with murder and you finaly get to court in a years time hence... Who are the jury going to be? 12 cruisers? Or 12 local people who know, or know of the decesaeseds family?

So instead of blowing their frigging heads off you use capsican spray, or a flare gun or something non leathal. Not a shot gun.

Lastly, go pull up a Google Image search of the inside of a USA jail. Now do a search on a third world jail. Do you really want a year in the third world jail while you try to prove your "rights"?

Better to be in jail that dead, or better to be in jail and save your wife or childrens life ,and WTF you know if the poor fella is going to steal your bucket or killing you?? huuuu ??

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Bash

Oh gosh. St. Lucia is one of our favorite places in the West Indies. Would hate to cross it off our list of places we hope to visit again.

Yes … Absolutely beautiful place!
Although my most vivid memory was quite surreal!
Early 1994 anchored out on a SY, I was invited to opening ceremony of “Bang between the Pitons” by Lord Glenconner.

The official opening was performed by Princess Margaret (apparently an old flame)
What I noticed at the event was she kept her internal flame fueled by copious amounts of alcohol!!

Lord Glenconner...on St. Lucia : Architectural Digest

Hope the guy gets a fair hearing!

[Celestialsailor]

If I was a betting man...I would guess this thread closed by post 40

[minaret]

Sounds to me like the only thing this guy did wrong was not leaving immediately after successfully repelling the attack. He may as well have shot and killed the "notorious robber", considering he is facing the same charges although all he did was defend himself by repelling a boarder back into the water from whence he came. Sounds like a great argument for shooting thieving boarders to me, since you will apparently be charged either way if you defend yourself. Pepper spray (which is also illegal in many places) would not have been any different, other than dramatically increasing the likelihood of the recipient drowning during the swim back to shore.

[boatsail]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Then you will be in jail for the rest of your life.

What do you not understand about "the rest of your life"?

You can NOT go killing people because some poor black person is trying to steal a bucket off your deck.

Now, the "rest of your life" means how long?

You can not kill people!

Remember if you kill some Caribbean local and are charged with murder and you finaly get to court in a years time hence... Who are the jury going to be? 12 cruisers? Or 12 local people who know, or know of the decesaeseds family?

So instead of blowing their frigging heads off you use capsican spray, or a flare gun or something non leathal. Not a shot gun.

Lastly, go pull up a Google Image search of the inside of a USA jail. Now do a search on a third world jail. Do you really want a year in the third world jail while you try to prove your "rights"?

In his shoes what course of action would you have recommended?

[donradcliffe]

The real lesson is to make sure you blow all of them away and drag them out to sea, so there are no witnesses.

[Pelagic]

Glad we are all embracing the Christmas Spirit of:
Peace and Goodwill to All Men

Season's Best!

[Auzzee]

Originally Posted by David M

Most journalists are not exactly well known for trying to get both sides.

I get damned sick and tired of third party insinuations about the professional ethics of people in my profession. Most journalists try desperately hard to get both sides of a story.

Journalists have a job to do and that is to report the KNOWN facts. Journalists are not the police! Columnists, not news journalists, provide opinion. Opinion and speculation do not form the journalist's stock in trade.

Bitter cynics aside, there is only so much a journalist can do; and do not forget that every piece of good news information you receive through the television, radio and press is from professional journalists such as myself.

Certainly, journalists must ask questions, but the outcome cynics require, provide that journalists have unhindered and perpetual access to people who can answer these questions. Such is not always the case.

Incidentally, one question I would be asking is how did the alleged assailant get onto the boat in the first place, given that he was a poor swimmer and had to swim to shore?.

[Pelagic]

Good question Auzee and I am sure you are a good journalist.

However, not all are and 2 words to support that theory is: FOX NEWS! ..

[Eddiefuego]

Cynic here. How did the guy die in the hands of the police? Was it possibly AT the hands of the police? It certainly happens here in the good ole USA...but not on the islands? I guess we don't have the entire story...but enough to let the local officials know they are being watched. I have certainly appreciated that in the past while being detained at the border in Bz.

[Shrubb]

Originally Posted by Auzzee

Incidentally, one question I would be asking is how did the alleged assailant get onto the boat in the first place, given that he was a poor swimmer and had to swim to shore?.

The answer is in the cited papers (maybe the translation is not very accurate) : there were several thieves coming in a boat, only one climbed on Sommer's boat and there was a short struggle. During this, the assailant's companions flew away and let him alone without any means but swimming to escape. This is what is reported.
Indeed we miss the other party's version, but this is part of the problem : no official trial, no argument, only Sommer is in jail for "murder".
I look for further information, maybe we can have something from the French government if they care, it seems they do. French territories (Martinique) are very close to St Lucia and have important relationship with this country.