Social media was abuzz today, especially this morning, after an incident occurred involving a minibus and a police vehicle. As I was driving to Hamilton just after 9 AM, I saw a police vehicle pulling a minibus over. The driver of that minibus is with us at TNN News to share his version of the story.
Driver, can you tell us what happened from your perspective?
**Driver:** Well, I just want to set the record straight. I was indeed pulled over by a police vehicle. I got out of the vehicle and approached the police officer, asking if there was a problem. The officer informed me that they had received a phone call indicating that the driver of the minibus was in possession of a controlled drug.
From there, he asked if he could perform a drug search. I told him that I had no problem with the search but insisted that it not be done in front of the passengers. I didn’t want to create a bad impression. So, I ran a short distance away from the bus to avoid being searched in front of them. When I felt I was far enough, I stopped so the officer could search me out of sight of the passengers.
The officer then handcuffed me and said I was being detained for obstruction. He called the K-9 unit to search the bus. By the time the K-9 unit arrived, the passengers had already been picked up by another minibus. They searched the bus and me, but found nothing. The K-9 unit even checked the area where I had run, and still, nothing was found.
After being taken to the Hamilton Police Station, a phone call came in about two hours later indicating that nothing was found, and I was released.
**TNN Reporter:** Some might say that when someone runs, it implies guilt. What would you say to that?
**Driver:** People need to stop spreading false rumors and making baseless allegations. I did not run because I was guilty. There was nothing for me to be guilty about. I ran because I didn’t want the passengers to see me being searched, then having to get back on the bus. I’m an emotional person, and it would have made me very uncomfortable to face the passengers after such an incident.
**TNN Reporter:** You were transporting tourists. How many tourists were on the bus, and where were you taking them?
**Driver:** There were roughly 20 tourists on the bus, and I was transporting them from the ship in Dockyard to Horseshoe Beach.
**TNN Reporter:** Had this been the first time you’ve been stopped like this by the police?
**Driver:** Absolutely, it was really unexpected and it was like a surprise because I’m not into all of that. Whatever information they received, it was false information. With everybody going on social media and making all these allegations and assumptions, I hope and pray that this sets the record straight.
**TNN Reporter:** A social media post came from one of the tourists on the bus, stating that you were talking about crime in Bermuda. Did they see you run? Did they see you get apprehended by police?
**Driver:** They saw me run, but they did not see me get apprehended by the police. Yes, I always welcome my guests with open arms and try to give them as much information as possible about Bermuda, its history, and so forth. I did inform the tourists that Bermuda has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Then, a few minutes later, the police pulled me over, making it look like I had committed a crime, which I did not.
**TNN Reporter:** Your name has been floated, why don’t you want to give your name in this interview?
**Driver:** Bermudians can be quite gullible and tend to take someone’s name and put it on social media, spreading false information. So, I prefer to keep my name out of this. Whoever recognizes my voice, that’s on them. But I’m here to set the record straight: all the social media rumors are not true.
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