CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Police Commissioner Ray A. Martinez was involved in an “officer-involved shooting without injuries” on March 5, the Virgin Islands Police Department said today.
“This incident occurred in the area of Hull Bay, which ultimately led to the arrest of Mr. Mohammed Salem.” the VIPD said in a prepared statement.
Per the Police Department’s Policies, the commissioner was placed on administrative leave
with pay pending a Critical Incident Debriefing, the statement said.
“On the same date, the Virgin Islands Police Department reached out to Effective Law Enforcement for All to conduct an independent review of the incident,” according to the statement.
This was done to ensure that an independent review was done and to take the investigation and findings out of the hands of the VIPD.
Effective Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA) is a non-profit organization that relies on a multi-disciplinary team of former police chiefs, senior law enforcement officials, and policing subject-matter experts to
promote understanding, transparency, and trust between police agencies and the
public.
ELEFA’s experts have assisted New Orleans, Montgomery County, PoMaryland, and Orlando, Florida, and have been selected to oversee the implementation of a consent decree concerning the Minneapolis Police Department.
It is the policy of the Virgin Islands Police Department not to disclose the names of individuals
involved in Officer-involved shootings.
However, due to the nature of this incident and the fact that it involves Police Commissioner Ray Martinez, we believe it is necessary to divulge this information to promote an independent and transparent investigation based on his position.
ELEFA will conduct an independent review and provide the office of the governor and the
Police Department with their findings at the conclusion of the investigation.
Commissioner Ray Martinez was cleared for duty by the department’s psychologist effective
March 08, 2024 and has since returned to his office, police added.