Haitian authorities say officers killed former insurgent chief Wilfort Ferdinand after he allegedly opened fireplace at a police checkpoint earlier this week within the coastal metropolis of Gonaïves.
Ferdinand, also called Kòmandan Ti Wil, was a suspected gang chief and a key determine within the 2004 rebellion that ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He led the Artibonite Resistance Entrance and was an ally of former insurgent chief Man Philippe.
“Police had no intention of killing anybody,” stated Michel-Ange Louis Jeune, spokesman for Haiti’s Nationwide Police, chatting with The Related Press. He stated Ferdinand approached a checkpoint in a automotive with tinted home windows, backed up, after which fired at officers, who returned fireplace, killing him and an unidentified passenger.
The checkpoint was a part of ongoing operations towards the Kokorat San Ras gang, which operates within the Artibonite area and is infamous for excessive violence.
Native media reported heavy gunfire shortly after the capturing. Graphic pictures of the incident circulated on social media, sparking protests in Gonaïves which have compelled companies to shut.
