Dear Editor,
There is still a cloud of anger, suspicion, rumors, unanswered questions, and grief that hangs over the community of St. Peters and the entire island of St. Martin surrounding the fatal shooting of Mr. Rudy Benjamin on the evening of February 13th, 2026. It has been over eight months, and people need to know the FACTS and the truth to rebuild trust. This investigation is also being followed internationally.
The last article I read was that the police were involved in the St. Peters shooting, and that the investigation is to be handled by the Prosecutor's Office of Curaçao, but to date there has been no update to the community about the camera evidence or autopsy results. Community relations need to be rebuilt with the Police to rebuild trust. The Founding Members of the St. Peters Community Council took time over the years to build trust between the Police and the Community.
This February, the Police Force invested in officer training and professional development, with some officers in specialized training to provide lifesaving instruction, emergency response training, and community engagement.
As a community-spirited leader, the family and the people have the right to know the FACTS of what went wrong that fatal night. There should be camera evidence on the public light pole on St. Peter's Main Road where the shooting happened. The public has a right to know if the police followed the right protocols instead of using deadly force unjustly. Did the officers apply any of that lifesaving/CPR training that fatal night?
This is the first time in history something like this has happened in St. Peters, involving a resident who posed no threat to his community or society. I truly don't understand why the Community Police Officer or other officers who know the community weren't called to de-escalate the situation instead of using deadly force.
The family and the Community of St. Peters need to know the truth, see the public camera evidence for transparency, and someone should be held accountable for the fatal shooting of the late Mr. Rudy Benjamin, who is well known and liked within the community of St. Peters and St. Martin.
Let's continue to pray to God for the family, the police, and a transparent investigation that shows the public the camera evidence with integrity. The community of St. Peters is looking forward to the investigation being concluded as soon as possible.
Kr,
Maurice Lake, Co-Founder of the St. Peters Community Council/
