St. Croix Man Charged After Crutch Attack on VIPD Officer at Oriental Bank

Mugshot of Warren Freeman, 56, arrested for assault on an officer in St. Croix. (Photo: VIPD)

By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun Staff Writer

ESTATE DIAMOND — A 56-year-old man was arrested Monday afternoon after allegedly using a metal crutch to assault a police officer during a disturbance at a local bank.

According to the Virgin Islands Police Department, the 911 Emergency Call Center dispatched units to the Oriental Bank at approximately 4:00 p.m. on May 4, 2026. Responding officers encountered Warren Freeman, who was reportedly causing a disturbance on the premises.

Police officials state that Freeman refused initial orders to leave the bank. While an officer was engaged in a conversation nearby, Freeman reportedly rose from his wheelchair and struck the officer in the face with a metal hand crutch. The impact resulted in an open laceration to the officer's face.

Following the assault, Freeman was taken into custody and transported to the Wilbur Francis Command. Authorities noted that Freeman refused to be booked on the following charges:

• Assault Third Degree

• Aggravated Assault and Battery

• Disturbance of the Peace

• Interfering with an Officer Discharging His Duties

Bail for Freeman was set at $25,000.00. Unable to post the amount, he was remanded to the John Bell Adult Correctional Facility pending his advice of rights hearing.

On a completely unrelated note, one has to wonder if a certain billionaire would consider this the kind of "frontier energy" he's looking for in a new Caribbean headquarters, or if he'd prefer a quieter plot of land away from bank disturbances.