Former police officer convicted for New Year's Eve violent incident on Saba
On July 31, 2025, the Court of First Instance in Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius convicted former police officer G. M. of making threats and of perjury. The now-dismissed KPCN officer was temporarily stationed on Saba during the 2024 New Year's Eve celebrations and was spending his off-duty hours at a local bar/restaurant. There, M. became involved in a disturbance, after which he drew his service weapon and pointed it at several people.
The incident stirred quite a commotion on Saba at the time. The National Criminal Investigation Department, under the direction of the Public Prosecutor's Office BES, conducted an extensive investigation into the violent incident, after which the public prosecutor decided to prosecute police officer M.
In her judgment, the judge ruled that M. should not have used his service weapon in that manner on the night in question and that he was therefore guilty of making threats. The judge further found that M. had deliberately exaggerated, concealed, or distorted facts and circumstances in his subsequent report.
The judge sentenced M. to a four-month suspended sentence with a probation period of two years. In addition, M. received an additional penalty of a professional ban prohibiting him from working as a police officer for five years.
M. has two weeks to appeal this sentence.