LaRoda Family: “We Won’t Rest Until We Have Justice”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Four years after a man was shot and killed by police, his family is still waiting for answers and they’re making a public plea for justice.

Althemese LaRoda-Rolle – Sister of Rashad LaRoda

“ He stopped, he surrendered, he died, but his hands held high saying that he surrendered.”

According to initial police statements, officers were on routine patrol on East Street shortly before 10p.m. when they saw a car speed through a police checkpoint.

Here’s what then assistant commissioner of police Solomon Cash had to say about the incident that night, but the family never agreed with the official statement.

Charlese LaRoda Storr – Sister of Rashad LaRoda

“ They supposedly say that he sped through this roadblock. Why is it that he stopped five seconds up the road and he couldn’t stop at the roadblock? That makes no sense.”

In March 2019, LaRoda was charged with attempting to murder two police officers with a high-powered powered semi-automatic weapon.

Two years earlier, he was charged with several offences, including conspiracy to commit murder and being a member of a gang.

With a record and a previous run in with the police, LaRoda’s family thinks he may have been targeted.

The family obtained footage from bystanders moments just moments after the ordeal, showing the bullet-ridden car.

Rashad’s father says his son didn’t deserve to die the way he did.

His mother, who is still emotional, says not a day goes by without thinking about her son.

Natasha Carey – Mother

“Only time I don’t think about him is when I sleeping. All I saying, please, we just want justice. We want our day in court, because it wasn’t right. It wasn’t right. God knows it wasn’t right and it killing me.”

They’re now making a public appeal calling on the court system to step in where, they claim, police investigators have fallen short.

Charlese LaRoda-Storr – Sister of Rashad LaRoda

“ The justice that we are seeking is to see these officers that’s constantly doing the damage in our country to be dealt with accordingly and stop being just let off the case.”