Bahamian whistleblower shot during Facebook livestream from Florida apartment

MIAMI — A corruption investigation into a top Bahamian police official has found its way to South Florida after a whistleblower who brought the allegations to light on his social media page was shot Monday during a Facebook livestream from a Hollywood apartment.

The shooting victim, who identified himself as Sylvens Metayer, was broadcasting live from the apartment in Hollywood when he suddenly fell to the ground as bullets shattered a window.

“Hey, I got shot,” he said before later elaborating, “I have been shot in the face.”

Blood could be seen on the man’s face and shirt as a child cried in the background. A woman was also heard pleading with 911 operators to send an ambulance to the Hollywood apartment. Metayer said he was also shot in the foot.

The Facebook page is well known in the Bahamian community for its livestream commentary on conspiracy theories on various aspects of the island nation and allegations of corruption among senior cops. In the past week, Metayer made headlines after he released voice notes that appeared to show Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson negotiating bribes with a wanted criminal, according to The Nassau Guardian.

The allegations have rocked the Royal Bahamas Police force and led to Johnson, the head of the Criminal Investigation Department, being placed on leave.

It is unclear how Metayer got access to the voice notes. The shooting occurred about an hour into his livestream, and hours after Bahamas Police Commission Clayton Fernander announced a police investigation into the recordings. Fernander said a team from the security and intelligence branch would lead the investigation. He said law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and the United Kingdom are assisting the investigation.

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davies, who was attending the 39th annual CANTO telecommunications conference and trade exhibit in Miami on Monday, announced in a post on X that the allegations involving police misconduct are being taken seriously.

“The Commissioner of Police moved quickly to suspend the officer in question and to initiate a thorough, professional investigation,” Davies said on the site. “As of late last week, there were discussions about how best to utilize international expertise and support for the investigation, and we expect more announcements will be forthcoming on that front.”

On Wednesday, Hollywood police confirmed that their officers responded to a shooting on the 2300 block of Pershing Street, but did not identify the victim.

“When officers arrived, they found one male with injuries,” a police statement said. “The victim was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital to be treated.”

“The preliminary investigation revealed the victim was streaming on social media when the shooting occurred,” the statement added. “Detectives are continuing to investigate the case.”

The Hollywood Police Department is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the department at 954-764-4357 or 954-967-4567. Tipsters can also email or text hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org.

On the video, which continued after the shooting, a woman could be heard calling for help and providing the Hollywood address.

So far, five voice notes have been released. Among them is an alleged conversations between a well-known Bahamian lawyer and two gang members, Michael Fox Jr. and Dino Smith, both of whom were recently killed after being accused of involvement in a $1.4 million bank robbery in November. The men were never officially charged.

The allegations have raised questions about corruption within the Bahamas police force, which has been battling to control a rising murder rate, often blamed on gangs. After 18 murders in Nassau earlier this year, the U.S. State Department reissued its Level 2 travel advisory to U.S. citizens, warning them to be cautious when visiting.

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