Fight in fish market leaves one hospitalised

Police are investigating an altercation at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex Friday morning that left one fish vendor hospitalised with serious injuries and another man in custody.

Barbados TODAY understands that officers responded just after 9 a.m. when an argument between two long-time vendors became violent.

Witnesses say one of the men drew a cutlass and struck the other multiple times before anyone could intervene.

A third individual, who stepped in and hurled bottles at the attacker, sustained a minor injury during the melee. Both injured men were taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.

“I ran because it happened so sudden, it ain’t funny,” one vendor told Barbados TODAY.

Another eyewitness suggested that a misunderstanding over smoking may have triggered the confrontation.

“The fella ain’t just attack him so, you know… He took up a shovel, but the fella did not know if he came to hit him or [anything], the other fella retaliated first. He did not give him the opportunity to hit him. He got the first chop, landed on the ground, and from there, [he got] chops enough,” she said.

Veteran fish vendor and philanthropist Sharon Bellamy-Thompson expressed shock at the level of violence.

“This is the fish market and we would have fights, we would have quarrels, but it never came to a [situation] like this where swords would have been used.” she said. “The one who has been injured, and the one who did the crime, they are both persons you thought that you would never really hear them in a noise or anything like that. Really and truly, especially the accused, he is so quiet, you would not even know he is in the market…. I am really lost for words.” (SB)