Police: ‘Misleading Photo’ Of Bullet Holes In Car

August 29, 2012

A photo presently making the BB, email and social media rounds showing a police car with two bullet holes in one of its windows is not a Bermuda police vehicle, the police said today [Aug 29].

The police said they “strongly discourage: individuals from forwarding unsubstantiated and mischievous messages via social media, and the senders “might find themselves guilty of criminal offences.”

The photo to the left, which we took from a UK news website, is the larger version of the photo in question. The one making the rounds in Bermuda has been cropped to a smaller version where the surroundings and back of the car are not shown.

The photo actually depicts the car being driven by British police officer David Rathband when he was shot by Raoul Moat in North East England in 2010.

A police spokesperson said: “The Bermuda Police Service is aware of a misleading photo which is circulating locally via social media. The photo shows a police car, rumoured to be a Bermuda Police Service vehicle, with two bullet holes in one of its windows.

“The Bermuda Police Service wishes to clarify that this is a photograph taken off the internet. It shows the car that was being driven by a UK police officer in North East England when he was shot and injured in July 2010.

“Of the three suspects involved in the shooting, one took his own life before arrest and the other two received life sentences on conviction of attempted murder.

“The Bermuda Police Service strongly discourages individuals from forwarding unsubstantiated and mischievous messages via social media. Such messages have already caused undue alarm to the general public in Bermuda on several occasions, and the senders might find themselves guilty of criminal offences.”

Read More About

Category: All, Crime, News

Comments (22)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. just my 2 cents says:

    really criminal offense for posting a pic of a cop car located in the uk on a bb social network ……tsktsk……i agree its a lame choice for a profile pic…..but in my opinion is hardly a crime.

    • Mayan says:

      Agreed-how the hell is it a criminal offence to post that? First of all, anyone forwarding it would be doing it innocently-it’s not a crime to be duped. Even the person who originally created it wouldn’t be doing anything illegal-even if they were trying to mislead people. What harm is it causing the police by someone sending this around?

      What-do they think its going to put ideas in people’s heads or something? Did the original person say “This is what I’m going to do’? In that case, then the police would have a point but merely sending around a cropped photo of a bullet-ridden police car isn’t a crime even if the person wanted to mislead people into thinking it was taken in Bermuda-which the police probably don’t even know.For all the police know, the original person could be from the U.K. and sent it on to someone who then assumed it was Bermuda.

      However, even if the person was being mischievous or misleading, how is that a crime? What are they going to charge the person under-exactly what did they do and how exactly did they hurt anyone? It’s not a crime to create mischief and mislead people…if that were the case every politician in Bermuda would be locked up right now…

  2. Eyes Wide Open says:

    Clearly not in Bermuda. We don’t have houses with terra cotta shingles and those type of street lamps. Idiot dem!

    • Free says:

      You must be one of those people who just look at the pretty pictures and don’t read the story. It says the picture floating around Bermuda was cropped so the street lamps and “terra cotta shingles” weren’t seen in the picture.

  3. terry says:

    Just a=#$holes sending a message to the local Police.
    Gang related.
    And yes it is an offence.
    Read the Criminal Code. It’s there about putting people/s in fear.

  4. I didn't see nothin! says:

    Any local should be able to tell the difference between local cop cars and U.K. ones. U.K. cars look new….Bermy cop cars would be banged up and upside down lol.

  5. Smith says:

    We also don’t have any Volvo V70′s in Bermuda

  6. bda says:

    being that the pic is said to be cropped um guessing u can see jus the window, lights and enough of the paint job to kno it a police car but wen was the last time you saw a bda police car with lights like that

  7. Like duh says:

    Even the cropped picture that is circulating shows the number printed on top of the police car. Anyone with the slightest bit of common sense would know that our police cars do not have these numbers because we do not have helicopters! Duhhhhh. Idiots.

  8. Judgement says:

    A crime could lead to being found guilty of a criminal offence? I guess it is because it involves the po-po. How many other pictures/ messages refering to people are circulated on a daily basis(some even reported to them)? Dont hear from the po-po then.Suck it up the po-po are a part of this world too. They approach people any way they want, say what they want,when they want and if you dare say something to hurt their feelings they arrest for obstruction or offence language. Some of these po-po feelings too soft,they hiding behind that big bad tuff badge.

  9. OMG says:

    A criminal offense,what a joke, soon looking at some one the wrong way will be a criminal offense. We live in the most penal country in the world. And you can interpret that any way you like. Come on BPS get a grip.

  10. shhh, don't let them know says:

    I think the real issue and why BPS/local media acted quickly to squash this rumour is becuase this is actually plausible in Bermuda given what has been happening recently. Perhaps if they were in the right place at the right time for once (not wishing harm on any of the BPS) they might be able to make arrests and convictions in a more timely manner.

  11. WoW !! says:

    Attempted Murder Charge Conviction !!

    Bring that JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO BERMUDA

  12. William says:

    I think that might be happening. someone likely photoshops these government folks so they look sane from time to time .
    i do not see any feral chickens in the picture.
    this is obviously not a Jamaican police vehicle either it has too many parts on it and no smashed up bumpers.

  13. CHEEKUMS BI says:

    The reason why it can be considered an offense is because the photography is being used to instill fear in the Bermudian population, Imagine you witness a crime and then you get sent a pic of a Police vehicle with bullet holes in it, and you would think..hmmmm if they can shoot at the Police while the Police is in the car then what chance do I stand in my car…I’ll keep my mouth shut…and you wouldn’t know if the pic is cropped or altered…this is a picture used as psychological gang warfare to keep YOU the innocent people of Bermuda quiet about reporting anything..that is in essence a form of cyber bullying, and spreading mischief in the community.. cheekums bi

    • ABM says:

      Or someones way at descrediting the police. An election is looming, so who would stand to benefit from this hoax???

    • 32n64w says:

      “The reason why it can be considered an offense is because the photography is being used to instill fear in the Bermudian population”

      So why haven’t the BPS arrested a handful of politicians whose image does the same thing? ;-)

  14. Trudy Trees says:

    People are just causing trouble. If it’s not true then why try and spread rumors? It doesn’t make you a bigger person.

  15. SMT says:

    NOBODY CARES *YAWN*

  16. Unbelievable says:

    “might find themselves guilty of criminal offences.”
    = numbers to increase the stats of arrests made for the month/quarter!!!
    NEXT!!!

  17. Winnie Dread says:

    Why bother this does not look like one of our cars from the get go.