Police Chief Says Swift Action in Killing of Officer Charles Was Not Favoritism, Acknowledges 15 Murders and One Arrest on St. Croix

ST. CROIX — St. Croix District Police Chief Uston Cornelius on Thursday addressed public concern over the rapid apprehension of persons of interest following the killing of Executive Security Officer Eustace Charles, saying the response was driven by the evidence, community information, investigative work and technology available in that case—not preferential treatment. In a video statement published on the V.I. Police Department’s Facebook page late Thursday afternoon, Cornelius also acknowledged the wider frustration surrounding unsolved homicides, saying “15 murders and one arrest” is not a result he accepts or expects the public to accept. “Yes, persons of interest were apprehended very quickly. I am grateful to the community for the timely information that was passed on, and for the swift response from our officers and partnering agencies,” Cornelius said. Officer Charles, 51, was found inside a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds in Williams Delight early Sunday after the 911...