Tommy Farrell after he was attacked.
CRUZ BAY — Popular St. John jack-of-all-trades Tommy Farrell was brutally beaten by as many as four young visitors in Frank Powell Park early Sunday morning after the group had caused a disturbance at Castaways Bar and was roaming Cruz Bay “looking for trouble,” an eyewitness told St. John Tradewinds.
“They were yelling racial stuff, and they beat him pretty bad,” the witness said.
Several of his attackers were arrested but subsequently released by police, according to Farrell and St. John Tradewinds sources.
“I heard that they were released already,” Farrell acknowledged to St. John Tradewinds Sunday afternoon. Police photographed his injuries, Farrell said. His attackers are due in court on Monday, July 20.
The three young men and reportedly one young women in a group had been thrown out of Castaways before they ran into Farrell in the nearby park, according to the Tradewinds eyewitness.
Farrell, who was knocked out in the attack, had intervened when the group was vandalizing outdoor furniture near The Landing restaurant.
Visitors Witness Visitors Attack
He doesn’t remember much, but there were several local and visiting witnesses.
“Several people told me what happened,” Farrell recalled Sunday. “I heard that they were throwing chairs around by The Landing. Someone told me I went over to tell them not to throw the chairs.”
Farrell said he was knocked out by the first blow when all four young people attacked him.
“Officer Allen said there were other people on vacation there and they said I did nothing wrong,” Farrell told St. John Tradewinds. “It’s probably just as well I was knocked out.”
“No robbery occurred in that they didn’t steal his money, however, they did take his shoes,” his father Walter Smith told Tradewinds.
“They didn’t rob him, but they took his shoes.” Smith said.
“They were arrested and released within hours,” Smith added incredulously.
“In part the reason they were arrested was also because they attempted to fight, or resist the police,” said Smith, a security guard. “Two of the attackers are minors and least one of them is a female.”
“This sounds like a hate crime and I am amazed, minors or not, that they are out of jail without being put before a magistrate or DA, Farrell’s father added.
Special Treatment?
“You don’t get bailed out on weekends for charges like that,” one downtown Cruz Bay denizen questioned.
Tommy was treated and released for his injuries and was attempting to go to work Sunday.
The V.I. Police Department no longer provides the media access to its log of reported crimes or enforcement activity. Arrests are usually announced by press release. There was no information from VIPD on this assault or any arrests.
The VIPD organization is under public scrutiny after the local office of the national Crime Watch program announced the program would cease operation in the territory due to poor communication with the VIPD.