June 24, 2006 – A St. Thomas man killed Thursday during a police sting operation has been identified as 17-year-old Kenrique Caines.
Caines died as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Police reports say that Caines was shot after he approached an undercover officer and threatened him at gunpoint (See "Officer on Leave After Hospital Ground Shooting"). When contacted Saturday afternoon, Police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Hannah explained that once threatened, the officer fired a single shot at Caines, who stumbled back from the vehicle.
Hannah said that after Caines was wounded, "the officer exited his own vehicle and attempted to assist Caines."
"He did not leave his vehicle before that," Hannah added. He explained that other news reports have published various eyewitness accounts of the incident – which contradict what police have released.
"What we put in the media release was correct," Hannah said. "Despite what has been said on the radio or published, everything was going as planned until the victim threw a monkey wrench into the operation by approaching the officer's vehicle from the rear and threatening him at gunpoint."
Hannah added that rumors about Caines being followed by the officer prior to the shooting are also false.
In other news, Hannah said police are asking community members to call with any information regarding the death of 17-year-old David Berrios, whose body was found Friday at the Ralph de Chabert housing community on St. Croix.
"Police responded to a call made by a concerned citizen around 12.10 p.m.," Hannah said. "The citizen reported they had found a person lying in a grassy area near Building 21 in the de Chabert community, who appeared not to be moving."
Hannah said that police found Berrios "to be lifeless" when they arrived at the scene, but transported the body to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for examination. He said Berrios was pronounced dead at 3:10 p.m.
"He died from gunshot wounds to the body," Hannah added. "And since there were no witnesses available, we are asking the public to contact us if they have any information with regards to this incident."
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