What We Know About the Man Killed by Police in Grand Bahama

The man shot and killed by police in Grand Bahama on Sunday night has been identified by family and friends as Daniel Sturrup.

Authorities did not release his identity but say the man put them in fear for their lives when he held two machetes and threw one at an officer.

The man is believed to be in his twenties.

Here’s what we know:

Who is Daniel Sturrup?

Daniel Sturrup is the oldest son of Sharon Sturrup, a teacher at Maurice Moore Primary School, who stabbed her husband Dwayne Sturrup, 47, to death in 2015 at their Heritage home in Grand Bahama, as he slept.

Sharon, diagnosed with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, is serving time at the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

When she was being charged, she expressed concern for her four children, “What can I do in order not to go to Sandilands?” she asked the magistrate. “I have to prepare my kids for school. I have no responsible person here to prepare them for school. I hopefully would find someone to maintain them while I go to Sandilands.”

What happened the day Daniel Sturrup was killed?

Authorities said Daniel Sturrup was attempting to break into an apartment unit while armed with two machetes. He then threatened that he would kill the police. Though he was instructed to disarm himself of the instrument, Daniel refused, throwing one machete at an officer and charging at them with the other in hand. He was shot, subsequently and died while in transport to the hospital.

Eye Witness News obtained footage of the events unfolding, which showed Daniel atop a balcony with a machete in hand, as police on the ground demanded that he drop it. Daniel stated that he won’t and the police later shot fired six shots. The edited clip does not show at which point the man charged at officers.

What is the family saying?

The family of Daniel Sturrup said it was not a case of burglary but that he was mentally ill. The victim’s cousin, Jamal Brown who is the nephew of Dwayne Sturrup, and lives in the United States, said, “There are deep-rooted concerns about this case and my cousin’s life, that the public is unaware of.”

Brown said the family tried to get mental assistance for Daniel but was told it was not an emergency.

Brown said he will not make an excuse for his cousin’s actions but “as a nation, we must begin searching for healthy solutions to treat those who struggle with mental illness.”

In another post, Brown said he will fight for justice for Daniel and that police are not above the law, calling the police actions “insensitive towards mental illness” with “purposeful intent to harm.”