Last night, we told you about the father's day murder of Benjamin Hyde Sr. The 49-year-old father and family man was shot and killed on Sunday while he was riding his bicycle.
Sometime around 3 p.m., the Victoria Street resident headed over the Swing Bridge to deliver a plate of Sunday dinner to his daughter on King Street. But, he never made it back home; he was shot and killed on that same street in broad daylight.
As we told you, Ben Hyde Sr. is the father of Christopher Hyde, who has already pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court to the offense of being a member of a criminal gang. Police identified him in that offense from July 2019 as the leader of the Rocky Road Bloods.
Police are concerned that members of that group may take retaliatory measures against those responsible for the murder. Also, the cops have been watching the rise in tensions between Rocky Road and the neighboring George Street Gang. So, this afternoon, Police Commissioner Chester Williams and other officers of the senior command took a walk on both streets to hopefully exert a calming influence on both sides.
Our news team caught up with him during that meet and greet, and he told us that the department is trying to ensure that there is no spike in gun violence in the wake of the killing of Ben Hyde Sr:
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"We're seeing that there's an increased tension between the two rival groups in this area, and the proximity within which they reside is worrisome. The potential for this rift to escalate to a stage where the loss of life can be imminent is what we are trying to see how we can quell. I am here today going through the area and speaking to those concerned. I fully understand the pain the Hyde family is going through at this time, having lost their father. But as I said to Christopher Hyde just a few minutes ago, while yes, he is in pain, and he is grieving, to go out and try to avenge his father's death is not going to bring any relief to him or his family. As a matter of fact, to try and go out and avenge what had happened may cause the tension between them to escalate even further. And again, as I pointed out to him, the proximity within which they live in this area to the enemies to the back is really and truly not in the best interest of either party. And so we are here to basically let them understand that while we will leave them to grieve in peace, I expect that the grieving is going to be in peace, And it cannot be that they are grieving and plotting at the same time, because, indeed, we are not going to entertain that. I have also said to him that we are going to leave them to attend the funeral. But if I should hear that one gunshot is discharged and it is coming from their camp, then certainly they are not going to attend the father's funeral. So, they must make a decision now, whether or not they want to be free to attend the funeral or they want to be locked down when that time comes. I am sure that they are going to choose the former, and not the latter. Be that as it may, as a department, we have put several things in place with our view to try and avoid whatever retaliation that may be intended and try as best as we can to keep the area as calm as we possibly can. It is a very difficult task. As I said, the proximity within which they live is just a matter of jumping a fence and one is in the other one's yard. And it is difficult for us to put police in everyone's yard."
The Commissioner also had a few choice comments to make on the street-style slaying of a citizen who is not directly connected to gang activity. Here's how he made the point about the apparent escalation in gang-related crime in which innocent family members of gang figures are now the targets of rival gunmen:
Daniel Ortiz
"Was Mr. Ben Hyde, as far as the police are aware, the intelligence, a sort of message to the Hyde family and their associates?"
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"I'm not going to go into intelligence details. As I said to Christopher just a few minutes ago, he understands that in this war that they're in, they are collateral damages. It is sad, though, to see that we have gone to this extent where family members of these gangsters are now being targeted. In the past, It was confined between gangs and gangs. If you have a family member who is not involved, why bring them into the fray? So, it is disappointing to see that it has come to this, and we hope that we're not going to see this as a trend going forward because then it certainly is not going to reflect good for society and more so for these young men in these different groups, who are feuding against each other. Women, children, and non-active family members used to be outside of the fray, but now we're seeing that they're trying to bring them into the fray, and that is dangerous."
