Nassau, BAHAMAS-A man killed in a police-involved shooting was trying to raise over $100,000 to avoid prison for burning a man with acid, Bahamas Court News can reveal exclusively.
But 75-year-old Cedric Thompson died in a shootout with police at the Fox Hill Police Station soon before his scheduled court appearance on March 13.
He was at the station to sign in as a bail requirement for the acid-attack case. Thompson’s deadly encounter with police occurred when he allegedly pulled a gun on a police sergeant at the front of the station. After the gunfire ended, police allegedly retrieved two pistols from the deceased.
Police had arrested and charged Thompson, then 73, with use of deadly means of harm after he doused Zhivago Smith with muriatic acid on January 13, 2019 during a row over coconuts.
The 42-year-old was picking coconuts from a tree near Thompson’s home on Francis Avenue in Fox Hill.
Thompson ordered Smith out of the tree.
But Smith ignored him because the tree wasn’t on Thompson’s property.
As Smith collected the coconuts that he had thrown to the ground, Thompson poured muriatic acid on his head, leaving him with devastating burn injuries.
Thompson ran from the scene and police arrested and charged him a week later.
Smith and a police officer had already testified in the case when Thompson, through his lawyer Ian Cargill, said he wanted to change his plea in June 2019.
Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans had directed Smith to compile his medical bills in order to reach a compensation order.
Smith’s medical bills exceeded $100,000.
On learning of Thompson’s death in the police-involved shooting, the magistrate said, “My heart is heavy this morning. Anytime anyone from my court dies, I am affected by it. God is great and He is gracious because he was expected to appear before me this morning with those two nines and that extra extended clip.”
Thompson is the fourth person killed in a police-involved shooting this year.
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