PHILIPSBURG --The Prosecutor’s Office, in a press release, denied that the director of Pointe Blanche prison was threatened in any way. The Daily Herald had received information from a reliable source saying that director Edward Rohan had received a letter containing a death threat.
Other media had also reported the incident and had stated that the letter had contained a bullet. The Prosecutor’s Office now says that the incident was based on a misunderstanding.
“There was no report filed to the police,” the press release said. The release also stated that what had, in fact, happened was the following: “On Friday, a prisoner found, after the firearm incident, a bullet near his cell. He reported his finding to the prison director and handed him the bullet personally. No threats were made during this, or any other meeting.”
Prison director Edward Rohan also confirmed that the report had been based on a misunderstanding. “One of the inmates had found the bullet and had handed it to a guard. He asked the guard to hand the bullet to me and gave the guard a message for me, stating that something needed to be done to prevent this type of situation, or things could end badly. This was in no way intended as a threat.”
The situation was quickly rectified and it was established that the inmate had only wanted to hand in the bullet which he had found.
The incident refers to the serious assault on Friday, in which one prisoner is said to have attempted to shoot another prisoner, however, he was unsuccessful. The intended victim then severely injured his attacker by slicing him with a machete. Two days of unrest followed, and two firearms were found inside the prison.
Rohan confirmed that calm has now returned to the prison.
