Multiple people hurt in standoff involving knife-wielding female suspect

A number of personnel from various government agencies were left nursing injuries following a series of violent encounters with a female suspect which ended in a stand-off in George Town on Wednesday afternoon.

One police officer remained in stable condition at George Town Hospital on Thursday after sustaining injuries in an incident with the woman, the RCIPS said in a statement.

Police said the woman remains in custody and the matter is under investigation.

Multiple officers from the RCIPS, the Department of Commerce and Investment, and the Public Lands Commission received injuries during the series of incidents, which played out over more than three hours. They were given medical attention and later released, police said.

Eyewitnesses told the Cayman Compass the woman had jumped out of the back of a police cruiser and ran to the shore near The Wharf at the beginning of West Bay Road.

Police said the Ombudsman has been notified to conduct an independent review.

The chain of events on Wednesday began with the arrest of the woman shortly after 1pm.

Police said officers received a report that the woman was at Seven Mile Public Beach brandishing a knife and had attacked officers from the DCI and Lands Commission.

The woman then fled the location.

Police said the woman was located shortly after near Public Beach.

“When approached by officers she began to act in an aggressive manner and threatened officers with bladed weapons. The woman resisted arrest, injuring two of the officers, but was subsequently restrained and arrested on suspicion of making threats to cause serious harm, carrying a prohibited weapon, causing fear or provocation of violence and resisting arrest,” police said.

She was arrested, but escaped from custody in the vicinity of the intersection of West Bay Road and North Church Street by The Wharf restaurant, where she ran towards the shoreline, carrying a knife and a pair of scissors, police said.

The woman entered the sea, where police said she remained “uncooperative, making threats to the officers and herself”.

Police said RCIPS negotiators, and a local pastor, attempted to negotiate with the woman over a number of hours, including providing options for her to deescalate the situation and return to shore safely.

Port Authority and Coast Guard vessels were also deployed to the location to assist.

“After a period of time it became evident that the woman would not come to shore on her own, and due to the fear that self-harm was imminent, the decision was taken to approach the woman and take her into custody,” police said.

The RCIPS said as the woman was armed with bladed weapons, its firearms officers, carrying shotguns loaded with bean bag rounds, approached her.

“The woman continued to brandish the knife and scissors, threatening officers and herself, who then discharged bean bag rounds to subdue her and enable a safe arrest,” the RCIPS said.

The woman, however, continued to resist, and eventually was restrained, police said.

She was was taken into custody on the Coast Guard vessel.

The vessel was met at a nearby dock by emergency medical services and the woman was given medical treatment for minor injuries, police said.

RCIPS Chief Superintendent Brad Ebanks said he wished all law enforcement officers a “swift recovery”.

“The RCIPS thanks all persons that were involved in this incident, including our officers whose bravery and actions resulted in the safe disarmament and arrest of this woman, and members of the community who assisted the officers on scene,” he added.