ROAD TOWN, Tortola, BVI — The Dominican murder suspect who was shot while resisting arrest on Wednesday has died from his injuries, authorities here said.
Santo Yamarco Hernandez, 38, died at Peebles Hospital in Tortola on Wednesday, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force said in a statement.
BVI police said that there will be an independent probe into the circumstances that led to Hernandez’s death.
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force captured Hernandez near in Butu Mountain on Tortola. He escaped from Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut, Tortola in the wake of Hurricane Irma and had been on the run ever since.
A police statement issued on Thursday morning, confirmed that Hernandez, who had been on remand for the murder of 39-year-old Aliston Penn of East End on March 10, was dead.
“As is standard protocol in any police-involved shooting with a force weapon, there will be an investigation into the incident,” the police statement said. “Therefore, following consultation yesterday morning with his excellency the governor, the decision was taken to have an independent police force investigate the incident. Commissioner James Smith of the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force has agreed to undertake the investigations and officers from that force will arrive in territory today.”
According to the statement, acting Police Commissioner Alwin James stated that it is necessary for people to be confident in the police and their process.
“This is an opportunity to offer the transparency needed for evaluating officers’ actions in this incident,” James said.
DYIN’ LARGE: Santo Yamarco Hernandez, 38, and friend on Facebook. Hernandez died Wednesday night in Peebles Hospital on Wednesday night after being shot by police as he resisted arrest.