by Linda Straker
- Evan Smith unknowingly hit a dog and was physically assaulted by animal’s owner and family
- Police informed Smith that matter needs to be pursued civilly or privately
- Family believed to be investors in a business at one of the island’s marinas
- Some protesters called for immediate justice
Hundreds of Grenadians braved Saturday afternoon’s inclement weather to protest for immediate justice for a Grenadian man who suffered physical injuries following an altercation with a family in the upscale residential neighbourhood of Fort Jeudy, over the accidental killing of a dog.
Evan Smith, who was dropping off construction workers on Thursday, 25 June 2020 unknowingly hit a dog with his vehicle. The animal succumbed to its injuries. Owner of the dog, a Caucasian businessman, approached Smith and informed him of the dog and at the same requested Smith not leave the scene.
An altercation followed in which 4 members of the family who owned the dog physically assaulted Smith in the presence of witnesses. The police were called to the scene, and Smith’s family claimed that despite receiving a medical form from the police at the scene of the crime, they were informed that the matter needs to be pursued civilly or privately, and not criminally.
The news which aired on two main television stations’ Friday evening newscasts, immediately became the topic of discussion and was referred to as white foreigners having rights and privileges not afforded to nationals. The dog owner’s family name has not yet been made public by the police, but they are believed to be investors in a business at one of the island’s marinas.
Saturday’s protest was mobilised using social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. After the news started spreading about the protest, a statement from the Community Relations Department of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) called for calm.
“Acting Commissioner of Police, Edvin Martin, has ordered an investigation into an alleged altercation that occurred at Fort Jeudy, St George. Progress on the status of the matter will be made public in an upcoming Press Brief scheduled for Monday, 29 June 2020.” The release said, “While the police recognises the people’s right to assemble, the Royal Grenada Police Force is appealing to the general public to be calm as investigation continues in the matter.”
It is normal for the police to provide anyone who has been in an altercation and needs to seek medical attention, a special form to be signed by a doctor which will state the nature of the injury. The nature of the injury will determine the type of charge to be laid on the accused.
While some protesters adorned themselves with placards demanding justice for Mr Smith, the peaceful protest had others calling for immediate justice. “We want justice and we want it now,” they chanted as they walked to the scene of the crime.
In Grenada, Section 12 of the Dogs Registration and Control Act says that an owner or person in charge of a dog must not:
(a) Permit that dog to be –
(i) in any public place unless it is kept under proper control;
(ii) in or on any premises without the consent of the owner or occupier of those premises; or
(b) Permit that dog to enter, bring the dog into or allow the dog to remain in, any restaurant or any place where food is sold for public consumption, other than a guide dog for the blind.
(2) Where a dog defecates on a beach or in a public place the person in charge of the dog must forthwith remove the faeces and dispose of it, enclosed in plastic or paper or other suitable material, in a container intended for waste material.
(3) A person who fails without reasonable excuse to comply with this section commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $1,000.
What does know our place in your Country mean? Revolutionary blood we saw where that got you. If the white man did in fact assault the gentleman then he should be charged. Sorry you are a racist my friend. You might be better served venting your anger at the Chinese they are your real problem.
You are the racist and the problem!!!!
Don’t try and turn this altercation into a race issue for crying out loud. Are you trying to tell me it the dog had been owned by a black Grenadian family and the words exchanged were not conciliatory, that a fight wouldn’t have happened. Some people here are too quick to prosecute, judge and sentence on this this issue without knowing the facts. It makes some of you sound almost racist.
I’m tired of these investors coming in to OUR COUNTRY and treating us like pests, savages, or vermin, simply because they dont understand our culture (nor do they try to), and see our island as a way to make profit instead of a place of life and love for the people who have lived there for centuries. We need to look at how these white and Chinese investors treat the black people in their own countries and stop allowing them to come here and do the same to black people who live here. We are Grenada! We are the culture and the life of the island but because they contribute to our economy we’re just going to place them above the law to protect their feelings? That is unacceptable and we are trying to make our pleas heard by the people in power. Evan Smith did not deserve this, these people took the law into their own hands, the police in Grenada are there to protect US, They are there FOR US, why now are they silent? Why now are they struggling to do what is right? To protect finances? Grenada is an island full of life and culture, DO NOT allow it to become ruined by monetary greed.
Amen amen amen..their friends are commenting on here in support ..let it be their family member this happened to..protest every god damn day until their charge them for assault and file a lawsuit against them
Grenada is not a black country, they were bought here by white europeans from Africa. Grenada is a mixed race country with a mixed history.
You can’t want investment and progress but also resent investment and progress..
And westerners regard dogs as pets and members of their family, people of African desent do not have any regard for dogs and just mash them in the road.
Well said
I think before we can say this is not a racial issue we need to find out the history of the people who did the assaulting.
if Mr. Smith did not stop maybe that could be justifiable
and if he did not stop they could have gotten the license plate number
but what is even more sad is that these CBI applicant are given special privileges that we the regular people don’t know about that’s why those bullying folks could have even call the police over the death of the dog and they came so fast
SYSTEMIC RACIST IS JUST AS BAD IN GRENADA AS IN THE USA AND ITS INSTIGATED BY THOSE IN AUTHORITY
So these foreigners feel they are entitled as when Nurses were told to give priority to the Chinese who were building the stadium whenever they visited the Health Centers,
And when they could bring their children in Secured area in the Airport to meet visitors, some of them not even having passes.
So please think again before you question our accusation of racism
Have you asked yourself why the dog owner was not following the laws of the land that says dogs in public should be leashed? and why was the victim (he was beaten by 4 people it wasn’t a fight) told that it was a civil matter.? We all know that if this had been a black family who had beaten a white man the white man would have been given immediate sympathy because people have seen this happen time and time again and now they are saying that this isn’t right. People are concerned that white people are given prefferiential treatment because they are felt to be superior even by our own brainwashed people in authority who should be acting fairly on behalf of all people regardless of their financial, professional status or race.
Black people are not racists, it’s a reaction to the many years/ centuries of racism and brutality inflicted by the whites!
I bet if the driver were white he would have been beaten also.
Why bring race into this? We are not a racist island. Do not bring that ugly racism from America to our beautiful island.
You sir, are an agitator and a racist.
Any violence should never be tolerated.
Grenadians, especially the poor and uneducated have no respect for dogs. Stray dogs are often beaten to death or run over like vermin. Pet dogs are neglected, chained up, bred for money, beaten and starved to death by Grenadian pst owners. The stray dogs in Grenada are not helped and supported, the pets dogs in Grenada are not supported either.
In other countries like Britain dogs are often treated like a member of the family and kept, loved and cared for for their whole life span of 15 years. Britain also has shelters and charities to care for and rehome unwanted dogs and laws and welfare checks against animal cruelty.
Bless the Grenadians that are respectful and kind to animals even though their lives may be hard. And shame on those that are cruel.
I am not sure what this comment has to do with this case? No one targeted the dog- it was an accident. But someone targeted and traumatised a human being.
Am i missing something here? Did the police report by the black officers say that they didn’t charge this family because the family is white? How do we know he accidentally ran over the dog? If he wasn’t aware he ran over the dog, why did he stop and talk to these people? And can we quit saying he was beaten by a family of four if all he got was a busted lip? Seems like he got punched. Once. By one person. If this is true, it is a shame. And the dog should have been on a leash, but we should not take one side of the situation as gospel.
This comment is utter rubbish given the situation. You completely ignored the issue of a person being assaulted, injured and traumatized. There are laws in every country protecting animal rights. How does the death of a dog by whatever means justify what these WHITE people did. They CHOSE to ignore the man’s rights and the CRIMINALLY assaulted him. Adding insult to injury the police has thus far refused to arrest or charge any of the four because they are white and rich!!! Would your opinion and the actions of the police been different if the gentleman was of a different disposition and returned with a cutlass or gun?
We want to know what the house look like and where they live today am hot on Google maps what is this think this is slavery
These people should be prosecuted for at least assault. Are they untouchable because they have money? Grenadians should expect to be protected and also receive justice in their own country!
I was in complete disgust with the Grenadian police force that they allowed an elderly national to be assaulted by those white people four against one and not arrest any of them for assault. The police are showing themselves to be as corrupt as those criminals. I am outraged. Where is the justice for this poor man. Those stinking caucasians now think they have the upperhand over the nationals. DO NOT ALLOW THIS GRENADIANS. MAKE SURE THEY PAY FOR THEIR CRIME. BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.
Appealing to the law enforcement personnel, kindly do not allow this family to skip our country when the airport reopens before justice is served.
Secondly, our lives are worth more than dogs, as much as pets are loved, a human has way more value; let justice be served!
Finally, let this matter be an example for any others who maybe be harbouring thoughts and ideas of racism and discrimination so that it curbs any further actions of such nature.
Let’s be humane humans, after all aren’t we human beings? Treat others how you would like to be treated!!!
This man needs to be compensated heavily for the trauma that was inflicted on him. He will have permanent injuries from the pain, stress and injuries that occurred to the point where he cannot talk, having sleepless nights and ever living a normal life again to provide for his family.
The victim needs a public lawyer provided by the government. Slavery has ended, as a black Grenadian man this kind of behavior from these OCCUPIERS will not be tolerated inside our border and will not be slid underneath the rug by the government.
We the Grenadian citizens have REVOLUTIONARY blood in our veins that will not stand for this. We need to send a message to these OCCUPIERS, and the government so they Know we are not the tame, timid or docile blacks that they can come and put their foot on our necks and get away with it. We are the majority in this country, this is our Country, we run this countr This man needs to be compensated heavily for the trauma that was inflicted on him. He will have permanent injuries from the pain, stress and injuries that occurred to the point where he cannot talk, having sleepless nights and ever living a normal life again to provide for his family.
The victim needs a public lawyer provided by the government. Slavery has ended, as a black Grenadian man this kind of behavior from these OCCUPIERS will not be tolerated inside our border and will not be slid underneath the rug by the government.
We the Grenadian citizens have REVOLUTIONARY blood in our veins that will not stand for this. We need to send a message to these OCCUPIERS, and the government so they Know we are not the tame, timid or docile blacks that they can come and put their foot on our necks and get away with it. We are the majority in this country, this is our Country, we run this country.
Laws should be implemented to revoke their Citizenship, heavy judge ordered payout To the victim and deportation etc. White people need to know there place in my country. Respect my brothers and sisters, because you are a guest and we are ready to kick you out of our house. y.
Laws should be implemented to revoke their Citizenship, heavy judge ordered payout To the victim and deportation etc. White people need to know there place in my country. Respect my brothers and sisters, because you are a guest and we are ready to kick you out of our house.
White privelage wherever they trod