UPDATE: Escaped Dominican prisoner, Shanell Thomas dies following police shooting

Police in Antigua and Barbuda have fatally shot Shanell Thomas.

According to reports from St Johns, the Dominican national who escaped from prison authorities earlier this week was killed last night after an encounter with the police.

The police said they responded to a report late Wednesday evening, where Thomas was reportedly spotted in the vicinity of Stables Night Club.

“The police identified themselves to him and ordered him to surrender. He, instead, withdrew an object from his waist and advanced towards them. The police took defensive action and shot him,” Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Frankie Thomas said in a statement.

He was transported to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center where he was treated and later succumbed to his injuries.

“The coroner was informed of the incident as investigation continues into the matter,” Thomas said.

The 34-year-old – was serving time for a string of serious offences.

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35 Comments

  1. In My 40's
    February 12, 2022

    @The Eyes have it. There have never been any “Black Lives Matter” demonstration in the USA when a criminal who escaped from prison is shot dead, if you have something against “Black Lives Matter” come up with something more credible to use against them.

  2. Sad state
    February 11, 2022

    I am not supporting criminals but the fact is. When Skerrit and the DLP came into power this young man was only 11 years old? Can anyone point out one thing the government has done for young men like him that would give him hope for the future? Skerrit destroyed the banana industry he met, destroyed Ross University, destroyed sports to the point that we don’t see cricket on any playing field. Our jobs are given to foreigners. Government is now building houses for those girls so now they have to compete with these rich passport sellers for the bed.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 22 Thumb down 14
    • Rawlston Pompey
      February 12, 2022

      SCOOPED NEWS?

      This ‘Escape’ did not have to die.

      The way the police have described it ,leaves much to be desired.

      A ‘…Coroner’s Inquest’ may very well find those conducting the operation ‘…Culpable and Prosecutable.’
      WHY?:
      If the night before the tragic killing, police says to the media and general public the escapee alighted from a vehicle with an object that appeared to be a ‘FIREARM;’ …He ‘ATTEMPTED’ to fire at them, they in turn fired at him and he ran into nearby bushes.’

      LOGIC:
      On the ‘…FATEFUL NIGHT,’ they saw him ‘…withdrew an OBJECT from his waist and advanced to them, ‘LOGIC’ does not support this account.

      WHY?:

      He reportedly ran from them with a gun on the first encounter, then on the second night, he was advancing toward ‘…Heavily Armed Police officers’ with an OBJECT,’ yet to be identified and recovered. Lots of questions to be answered.

    • lmckoy
      February 12, 2022

      It seems that you have assigned blame to Skerrit for the behaviour of this person but said nothing about the responsibilities of his parents. As for banana and Ross, try sticking to the truth.

    • The Informant
      February 14, 2022

      So at 34, the man’s decision to commit crime is the fault of the government? Seriously people? Then I guess we should all be criminals. Yes, a government helps to shape the lives of a people but the decision of an adult is that of the adult. Many have grown up under the same government, have had similar struggles, yet they chose a different life.

      You do not have to like a government, that is your right, but please, let’s stop this foolishness of making everything that happens, even a mosquito bite, a political issue. Family, church, school… all pillars of society, but the decision is ultimately that of the individual, especially a grown man

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      February 14, 2022

      Mr./Mrs. no name you do not have any argument, it is very stupid for me or anyone to blame Roosevelt Skerrit or any government for the criminal activity of anyone.

      Indeed, life is hard in Dominica employment, are non-existent’ that is the history of our country, all due to our mentality of being satisfied; contented with our backwardness.

      I was born in Wesley, where I saw, and felt hardship there until a cousin of mine Native Antigua born came to visit with my grandmother her aunt, took me along with her to Antigua, when she decided to return to Antigua, and changed my life; nevertheless, in those poor and difficult years, our people did not turn to crime, we survived, and mind you we got no handout from government.

      That criminal deserves what he brought on himself!
      ““The police identified themselves to him and ordered him to surrender. He, instead, withdrew an object from his waist and advanced towards them.”
      Well, (him is Dominican nuh him doh Farid police eh)!

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        February 14, 2022

        I am not in support of Roosevelt Skerrit, but I am sure Roosevelt did not rise out of bed and direct that guy to go to Antigua to commit a crime to get himself incarcerated in order to escape from jail only to be hunted by the police resulting in getting himself fatally shot!
        Antigua is a magnet for Dominicans, as long as Roosevelt Skerrit is in power in Dominica, and the sale of Dominica passports remans our main industry, the country will remain a repellant to the youths of our land.

        Some of our people complain, they are dissatisfied with the way Roosevelt runs the country, they know he is corrupted; they accept his corruption and take his handouts; thy grumble prior to election day; but by the time he gives them some kind of thing, even rotten perishables that’s enough for them to forget their stress under which they exist caused by Skerrit and votes him right back in power to squeeze their guts out!

  3. Trouble I see
    February 11, 2022

    Here is the conclusion of the whole matter. In Dominica today Skerrit caused bad boys worse, rich people poorer, poor people poorer, church people that use to be powerful and well respected preachers and Christian’s into criminals, educated young men like Kid on the block, Lin Clown, dog bite man into lazy men that can do nothing but defend criminals and even the police that use to be crime fighters, are now defenders and partakers of crime. At the pace we going I won’t even be surprised to hear Skerrit announce one day that the qualification to get a government job is one must possess a criminal record

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 15 Thumb down 13
  4. budman
    February 11, 2022

    i said it before when we first got the report that he escaped that if the police in Antigua has to find you, then you are not coming back alive. If you follow the trend over there, escapees only survive when they turn themselves back in.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 0
  5. February 11, 2022

    So sad. The young man wanted to go. He give up on life.

  6. The Eyes have it
    February 10, 2022

    The Young Man Is only 34 years old and was shot and killed in Antigua by the police. If that same thing had happened to a black man in the USA and the officer was white, we would be seeing massive “Black lives matter”.

    But it happened in Antigua and the comments are about his character. Nuff for that one. But what really caught my attention is the photo of the young man with a spliff in his mouth and tattoos all over his chest. It hurts me because in Dominica where the young man is from, Skerrit, Blackmore and the Eyes have it cabinet find the best thing they could do for our young men is legalize marijuana with nothing in place to protect our young boys. So you see a lot of our drivers, Bike riders and civilians with a spliff in their mouth as if it is a style. at least the young man in photo is 34; but what Skerrit has done will so destroy our country that soon our boys will have it in their mouth in school. So no cricket no sports look marijuana go destroy yourselves.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 16 Thumb down 14
  7. Copacetic
    February 10, 2022

    Looks like this dude is trying to over compensate for having a girl’s name. All he had to do was use his middle name (if he has one) or go through the proper legal channels to make a change.

  8. Ti Garcon
    February 10, 2022

    One thing black people hypocrite eh. if it was a white police man that shoot him under the same circumstances these same comments here would be crying Black lives matter. Because it’s black on black then I guess his life doesn’t mean much.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 10 Thumb down 15
  9. lin clown
    February 10, 2022

    them people dosent read i suspect. the article say the man DIE allu commenting saying hope he gets caught soon. boy people really does talk fast before they read yuh

    ADMIN: We always encourage individuals to read over rushing to comment but in the interest of transparency we did update this article. Some of the earlier comments were made before the news broke that he had been killed.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  10. Lin clown
    February 10, 2022

    Linton said it was $1.2 billion,he moved it up to $1.8,then $2.4 up to $4.8.Now we have another AHOLES posting $2.2,I wonder what happened to the remaining $2.6 Linton recently talked about.Aljazeera caught some people in a conspiracy to launder over $2,000,000 into Dominica.Hit and run is a criminical offence,especially when a child was disabled.Extortion is a criminal offence.Threatening to cut off somebody head if they don’t pay money happened in Marigot.Burning Roseau,and destroying public and private property on February 7th 2017 is also a criminal offence.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 4 Thumb down 22
    • budman
      February 11, 2022

      what does this have to do with the article?

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  11. Ibo France
    February 10, 2022

    All so-called bad man owe death. So a man lives, so he dies. Having said that, the life of every human being is sacred. The unnatural death especially of a young person is very regrettable. May others who are living this criminal lifestyle take heed and be swayed away from such.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 0
  12. Not Blinking
    February 10, 2022

    Let us pray that this criminal is apprehended quickly before he harms or kills someone.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
    • Eagle-Eyed
      February 11, 2022

      It was stated in the article that he died as a result of being shot by the Police. You should have read the article before commenting.

      ADMIN: The article was updated this comment was made before the news broke that he was killed.

      • Not Blinking
        February 13, 2022

        Eagle-Eyed, please note that when you assume you make an AS. out of U but not ME!!!

  13. Bad to the Bone
    February 10, 2022

    Antiguan correctional staff and police are slack for letting the perp escape. It would have been a wrap if that fugitive tried that shiggidy in Jamaica, New York or Jamaica, West Indies.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 5 Thumb down 7
    • budman
      February 11, 2022

      so are you saying that criminals don’t escape in those places? you can’t possibly be that ignorant. Your ignorance is surpassed only by the ignorance of the 5 people who gave your post a thumbs up because they had time to read and digest what you wrote and still thought that it was useful.

  14. Lo Lo
    February 10, 2022

    This dude isn’t worth all this media headlines. Show us his parents let’s see what who begat this creature. Looks like someone who has never worked a day in his life.

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 10 Thumb down 28
    • tipp
      February 10, 2022

      What does his parents has to do with this, yes they birth him that doesn’t mean they are responsible for his actions papa….

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 40 Thumb down 7
      • Lo Lo
        February 10, 2022

        Who said that they are responsible? Are you now inferring that? We want to see who they are. You could get a clue or two by just seeing what they look like. An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.😂😂

        Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 2 Thumb down 9
      • Ibo France
        February 10, 2022

        Till your comment is as solid as gold. Many times the parents do their utmost best in nurturing their children to become productive and law abiding citizens. But these very wards succumb to peer pressure from bandits on the street.

        You can give a child the best life but you can’t give him/her a mind. Not all criminals have bad parents. A Big Shout Out to all parents who making huge sacrifices to give their children a good education and a decent and rewarding life.

        Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
    • par parlay sort
      February 11, 2022

      Cain killed Abel, their father was Adam a man of God. Not all parents are responsible for their children’s path.

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
  15. Grandbayan
    February 10, 2022

    “Police say they tried to apprehend him when they saw him in the car but he emerged with what appeared to be a firearm and attempted to engage the officers.”

    But how does and attempt to engage the police means there was an exchange of gunfire ? Your saying he made and attempt to shoot and you still saying he shot after the police?

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 3 Thumb down 7
  16. February 10, 2022

    Playing bad boy? Crimes don’t pay. Mark you, it is not only men like bad boy Shanell who are criminals. Thieves are criminals too. Liars are deemed criminals too. Money launderers are criminals too. High lives can be criminals too. $2.2 billion were stolen. That was a criminal act to. We want it back plus interest. Shanell was taken down with force. How are we going to get back our $2.2 billion?

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 15
    • Bwa-Banday
      February 10, 2022

      Great question A Nou Parle Sort!

      Shane was a boy in BIG men’s game. But the BIGG Men better take warning because the same guns protecting then today will turn on them tomorrow. A handcuff never know whose hands in will land on tomorrow. Be warned all you white collar CRIMINALS roaming Dca. and playing invincible today.

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  17. Ibo France
    February 9, 2022

    This was an attempt at suicide by cops. He wants to go out in a blaze of glory. It seems he has decided that is life doesn’t value much any more. How does one manage to descend in such a dark, desperate and lonely place? He needs to know once there’s life, there’s hope.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 3
    • Treadstone
      February 10, 2022

      That’s what the police report said, and as we all know the police never lie. So let’s just accept their report as the god honest truth and move on. Yeah sure!

      Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 6 Thumb down 7
    • D/can to d bone
      February 10, 2022

      Too late to leap

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