Opposition calls on govt. to state position and classify incident
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – An investigation has reportedly been launched by police in South Florida, after Harold Williams, a Bahamian citizen, was allegedly attacked on Saturday while visiting a restaurant in Pembroke Pines to use the bathroom.
Williams, a manager at Bahamasair in Grand Bahama, was allegedly stabbed in the face by his attacker.
Yesterday, pictures of Williams and the injuries inflicted to his jaw and eye surfaced on social media and many of Williams’ friends wished him a speedy recovery on his Facebook page.
Eyewitness News made an attempt to reach Williams for comment yesterday, but our attempts proved futile. However, in an interview that Williams gave to Channel 7 News in Pembroke Pines, he explained that while out running errands on Saturday, he needed to use the bathroom and therefore decided to stop at a Pembroke Pines sandwich shop.
Williams told the news station that while using the bathroom he felt a “knock” on the side of his face and he initially thought that he had been punched.
“It wasn’t until I looked down and I saw him holding a kitchen knife that was 8 or 10 inches long, and then the blood started gushing everywhere and I realized I was stabbed,” Williams said.
He told the news station that he has no idea of why he was attacked and he was lucky that the knife did not completely pierce his jaw.
He also noted that his attacker never said a word.
“I was just trying to get out of there because it looked like he was coming back to stab me again, and the other guy who was with him, he just opened the door and said to me that I should never come back here again,” he said.
Williams also told the news station that a CT-scan was taken of his face and luckily, his injuries are not life-threatening.
“But the doctor did say that with the muscle in my jar, it is quite possible that I may need surgery to repair it,” he said. “I am thankful to God that I am still alive because it could have easily been another way.”
Eyewitness News understands that a 24-year-old male was arrested in Pembroke Pines for the alleged attack on Williams.
Meanwhile, management at Bahamasair said they had no comment on the alleged attack.
Yesterday, the opposition Progressive Liberal Party released a statement expressing deep concern about the attack on Williams, speculating that he may have been the victim of a hate crime.
“The PLP is deeply concerned about reports of an unprovoked stabbing and serious wounds to Harold Williams, a Manager of Bahamasair, on Saturday March 16th, 2019. It appears that this may be a hate crime and the matter is being investigated,” the PLP said.
“The Government of The Bahamas must say what the position is on this matter and if indeed it is so classified as a hate crime.
“This issue bears some greater importance given the constant attacks on public safety matters by US officials about The Bahamas,” the PLP statement concluded.
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