Donald Thomas, Leevan Sands and Shamar Sands arrested in Berlin

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BERLIN, Germany — Three Bahamian male track and field athletes will not return home from Germany with medals but did find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Associated Press is reporting six track and field athletes from the world championships were arrested after a scuffle at a Berlin disco early today [Sunday].

Bahamas Press is now confirming that the Bahamian athletes arrested are Donald Thomas, Leevan Sands and Shamar Sands.

All six were being investigated on possible charges of disturbing the peace and causing bodily harm after the incident at the Havanna Disco, police said.

The athletes were not identified by name under German privacy laws, however, BP has eyes, ears and contacts all over the world. Police said in a statement the men arrested were a 26-year-old American man, three men from the Bahamas aged 24, 25 and 28, and two from Cuba aged 21 and 24.

Police spokesman Frank Millert said the men all spent the night in jail, but were being released Sunday.

The incident occurred just before 4 a.m. Sunday as the athletes, who were part of a group of 20 people, tried to get into the overflowing nightclub, police said.

Words were exchanged with doormen after the group was told to stay in a waiting area, police said. The confrontation escalated when the doormen then tried to force the group to leave.

Bottles were thrown at the club employees, injuring a 30-year-old and a 36-year-old in the head, and a 27-year-old in the face, police said. All three refused medical treatment.

Once police were called, they arrested the three athletes from The Bahamas and the American. The two Cubans were arrested slightly later after more bottles were thrown, police said.

Under the German system, Millert said, prosecutors would review the investigation in the coming week and decide whether to press charges. Disturbing the peace can be punished with as little as a fine, but the charge of causing bodily harm carries a minimum 3-month prison sentence.

53 COMMENTS

  1. @lia
    hey lia i just noticed that you responded to my comment that i made. If you felt as if i was downtalking your country then I apologized. You mentioned that I think that I am better than everyone else. I believe that those who make themselves great shall be made humble and those who humble themselves shall be made great. Just like awakened I support my Bahamian athletes (no matter what) more than any other athletes because I am a young man who is extremely patriotic. yes the bahamas does has its own faults, and many of us make it our business to discuss them and work together to try and correct those faults. My dear I have not forgotten the positive things that came out of both america and jamaica such as barak obama being the first black president of the united states, and jamaica producing the fastest man in the world at the moment. I could list off the many positive things that came out of those countries as well as mines but i won’t do so at this time. What i should have said was that some of our young people from this small nation tend to obtain this badmind mentality because of what they see in the media from the larger countries. Once again from a proud black bahamian to a proud black american lady, I apologize for the misunderstanding and I respect your comment because I would defend my country without hesitation if I felt as though someone’s trying to down my homeland.

  2. Come on Milky, the joke ova’, we know your not a white Bahamian, stop trying to create dissent my boy, we ain’t falling for it, “Let Love Rule”,

    Bahamians……….”Right Is Right”.

  3. I have read comments from Levan and Shamir and accept their stories.Nazism is alive and well and Milky proves the point on this blog.Some of us old enough have experienced racism so a punk like Milky needs to be very careful lest he is ratted out and have to face his victims,”face to face”.These athletes travel all over Europe so they know that the caucasian supports their lifestyles.The two Sands were only trying to prevent Atkins from receiving further pummeling from his attackers and should be commended and not criticised.The election of Barak Obama and the dominance of the black athletes really has gotten racists worldwide ticked.

  4. @renae
    RENAE, WHENEVER SOMEONE REPRESENTS THEIR COUNTRY THEY SHOULD DO IT WITH THE HIGHTEST REGARDS,DON’T GET ME WRONG THEY ARE GOOD GUYS BUT THEY DID A BAD THING THE IS SHOWING A NEGATIVE LIGHT ON THE BAHAMAS REGARDLESS, I COULD SEE IF THEY WAS FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE,WORLD HUNGER OR SOMETHING WORHTWHILE BUT CAUSE THEY WAS DENIED INTO A NIGHT CLUB…..WHEN THEY DO GOOD WE SHOULD GIVE THEM THEIR HONOR AND WHEN THEY DO BAD WE SHOULD COMMENT, WHAT IF NOW GERMANY FINDS THEM GUILTY THEIR TRACK PROFESSIONAL CAREER AS AN ATHLETE IS OVER WHY BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T THINK BEFORE THEY ACT……

  5. “One bad apple spoil the bunch.” What do three bad apples do? It’s truly sad that out of the three men, not one of them was intelligent enough to say to the others, “We ain’t home, let’s get out of here before something stupid happens.” So out of these games we got 2 silver metals and three international criminals, wow, does that represent the the ratio of good vs. evil in our country? donald thomas, leevan sands and shamar sands are what’s wrong with the Bahamas.

  6. No disrespect Lia, but it is not about putting down America or Jamaica, it’s just those few negative things that smaller countries some how emulate from bigger countries, I guess what should be said is that all of the positive things that America or Jamaica has to offer, why our young people(and not to say the athletes), won’t emulate those things, positive things, yes we do love Barack Obama, down this side, others like Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, Usain Bolt, and many other upstanding persons, those are who we would want our kids to follow, maybe it should not have been given in that narrow scope, but we are worried about our own, that’s why we want what’s best, the thug mentally that is being spread around the world through music and film, now it has our lives imitating film.

  7. I was so happy for all the guys when the left the Bahamas for the World’s game. Then I was so hurt when I heard what had happened. Guys let buckle up and keep our heads up and let this be a learning experience not to go in someone else’s country to display poor behaviour.

  8. @ hammerhead, this aint english class!
    @ 242 citizen
    Don’t down other countries and call them negative just because your country has its flaws. Every place has its flaws and maybe that’s bahamians biggest fault that you all put yourselves on this high almighty pedestal and don’t realize that no one is checkin for the bahamas except for the bahamas! Which is why you need to support your athletes rather than throw stones at them. I am a black american woman and I don’t have to put my country on a pedestal, my president is black a positive black man so do not down my country as the bahamas was one of obama’s biggest supporters. I visited when there were obama tshirts for sale on every corner so please do not down my country for you need to be worried about your own. Maybe if you get out of the mindset that you arebetter than everyone else then you will be able to fix your own problems, because trut me you have a few. The pot cannot call the kettle black, that’s being hypocritical and ignorant!

  9. To the three male senior athletes, I do not condone your behaviour in Berlin, but I surely will remember you guys in prayer. You athletes are ambassadors for the Bahamas and hopefully this experience has taught you all to conduct yourselves in a professional manner when traveling abroadn to compete.

  10. @Awakened
    I agree with the last statement that you made. The Bahamas has so much to accomplish, and the only way we can achieve such success is if we maintain our own identity and not emulate the negative ways of such countries as the US and JA, etc.

  11. On the forefront, now… You are a real hater and you are jealous. You go and try go get a gold medal for your country. Get a life. what have you done for yourself or your country?. You need to get the real facts before you make any type of comments of any of these 3 Bahamian athletes who are out there doing their BEST for their country and their family. Get on the positive side.
    To all of you with negative comments shame on you. Ya’ll need to empower your people when they up and encourage them when they down.
    To you negative people: ya’ll like human black holes which suddenly come out of nowhere and just try to suck the life out of other. To you, Bahamian athletes stay positive, remain strong and continue to do your BEST. Believe me jealous people will try to bring you down to their level, but there is a God; if you know what I mean.

  12. Renae, Marwells is right!, listen here people, “WRONG IS WRONG”, your hitting the media for reporting it!(WOW!, Bahamian or not, we have got to show these young men the error of their ways, that is the right thing to do, they could have been killed in Germany, those people have a history of violence, we don’t know what happened, but we do know they were there, when they could have been in their hotel rooms, I am a proud Bahamian and I was proud long before someone won a gold medal,…. I am proud of my ancestors, I’m proud of how far we have come since slavery, and I see the potential in what we can accomplish, if only we would find ourselves and stop trying to be everyone else and picking up their negative ways(US, Jamaica, etc.) please don’t cloak WRONG!, bring it to light, and let’s make it RIGHT!!!.

  13. @marwells
    u old a u never gone to the club a i mean the competition over what sence it make the sitting in the rooms moopin an soppin and crying cuz they didn’t get a medal what the heck i mean it done ova they can’t replay it they wanted to get there mind off how they didn’t get a medal gees man they just wanted to have fun so they wrong for going out with 20 other Bahamian ppl to the club? smt *sigh dred*

  14. @renae
    I 200000002% AGREE WITH UR STATEMENT

    and are yall serious on this site with these ridiculous comment omg…. yall dont even know the story yall so quick to pass judgment on them we dont know the story i was hole 20 ppl there and i sure it was more but i mean come on the police could of been wrong it could of been out of good measure i mean yall so quick to be negative an judgmental and hear BOTH sides of the story dred yal only know what this site sayn yall dont really really know what happen smt yall always agents yall people dredy if we dont do 100% in an event yall dont care smt ONCE SOMETHING BAD HAPPEN YALL TOTALLY AGAINST THEM *sigh*

  15. Athletes are supposed to be well disciplined people. While on a trip representing your country as an athlete I don’t think you should be going out to nightclubs. What they do while on their own time and dime they can do what the hell they want. Regardless, of what the reason they may have, they are wrong. They should have used better judgement and walked away or even better been back at the athletes village thinking about why they did not perform to the best of their ability. Even if they would have won Gold medals they should have used their heads and walked away and celebrate when they get home. We as people need to learn to adapt to other cultures regardless wether good or bad, specially when you are in a foreign country under their rules.

  16. @LIZARD

    You think is negative because you feel they did something. They have done nothing wrong except be at the wrong place at the wrong time. If them going out to lift their spirits after a disappointing competition is wrong then okay that’s your opinion. Your country is the one putting them on blast not anyone else’s. If is wasn’t for the Bahamian media placing emphasis on it, the situation would have died quickly. No one knew who was involved and it should’ve stayed that way. It seems as if ya’ll want something to talk about. They should demand an apology from you for jumping to conclusions and not supporting them after what they go through on a daily basis as far as training, family lifestyle, and problems like these which they have to endure in order to represent the Bahamas and be an athlete for ya’ll country. Ya’ll give no accolades when they are down only when they bring ya’ll home a gold. Their lives revolve around striving to bring home medals but ya’ll don’t see that, only that they didn’t compete well or got into a some trouble. So you should apologize for being so ungrateful, and negative to innocent victims. Stand up for your country and the people in it, because it’s not okay to wrongfully accuse people and drag their names through the mud.

  17. @renae
    renae no matter how many sides of the story we hear it is still neagative,what they have to realize is that the country’s name is attatched to this stigma. they ‘mussy ‘ think they was in nassau at the quakoo st.police station hey, germany is a highly rasist counrty all they see is colour, theybshould be glad they didnt get lost in jail. and as a bahamian i demand an apology from those boys…..

  18. Discrimination is a very hurtful thing, especially if you are not used to it. We have to realize it only happens because of ignorance and that is why it is not worthy of being followed up. Germany has been that way for years and you will not be able to change that in one night by throwing bottles.

  19. @cooldude
    so tell now, What does it profit them to bring shame to their names and their country? all because they couldn’t take a little insult, they are ambassadores of this counrty, all the more they should govern themselves.

  20. I would like to hear what the athletes say.Remember now they are in a strange country and when bottles were thrown those there needed suspects….guesss what?lolo Am not being racists but when you do the profiling,3 black men.All of these athletes arrested have international exposure and so they should know how to conduct themselves in foreign.I reserve my judgement until I hear their stories or a statement from Minister Bannister.I will let the chips fall where they may.

  21. @ milky
    milky like white boy on the other tread seeking to stir the pot hey milky why majority of serial killers are caucasian black and white is not the` issue look like obama upsetting you dont worry educate yourself then may be you can be like the other great whites hitler stalin and mussolini unfortunatley you may end up in sandilands when they let you out????????take your medicine man free speech come with responsibility now back to the topic 3 athletes arrested according to associated press you werent there so wait till you get the rest of the info stop the exercise jumping to conclusions and running on with foolishness athletes of the 242 represent many diverse background and we support them all from sir durward, mark knowles, pauline,debbie,frank dey our people alternativley if you are visually challenged get some spec so you could read the threads properly and contribute constructivley…..

  22. All of ya’ll with negative comments should be ashamed! Out of all the papers the bahamians doing them the worse sowhile ya’ll talking about making ya’ll look bad to an outsider this is making ya’ll look worse. I know what happened and racism is REAL! A need to open your eyes and close your ars so you can see the reality o the situation…out of 20 athletes present at the club, these three were arrested in a riot! Come on now so you honestly believe that it was just 6 people involed in a riot! Wise up people and realize that there are two sides to EVERY story. Support your athletes for I know for a fact that 2 of them were being good samaritans just received a bad judgement call. Get it together bahamians, if ya’ll don’t support each other who will!

  23. Germany is a very RACIST country still have visdited there several times and am sure how this ent down. Whne the black atheletes got to the door all of a sudden the club was packed and no one wasno allowed to get in and the doormen insulted them as they do to black people on a daily basis.

    So being the respectful people that the atheletes are as i would do, i refuse to takeany insult from any person for no reason but only based on my color, so make sure you find the facts before you too start insulting your people!

  24. @Milky

    Is Milky insane, what plant is this person from ‘epic failures’ these guys are good enough to make it to the world track championships. You are out of your mind. ‘need to stick to hanging up on street corners and wasting their life’, now this statement is embarrassing to hear. Finally, ‘If this were white people’, are you serious anybody who thinks black people are violent obviously did not read up on their German history, or the knows nothing about the slave trade. Never the less folks, until the facts are clear, lets stop attacking, Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Jesus Christ, Mohamed Ali, Nelson Mandela and the list goes on were all arrested

  25. @LIZARD

    You are right, I am way of topic. That is only because I wanted Larry to see we do not blame the government just for the sake of blaming them, but right now we should be focusing on what went down with those boys in Germany. I am still waiting to hear their side of the story.

  26. @Larry

    Not because I agree with your comment, that mean I believe for one minute the government is completely off the hook. They could do more in policing these areas and stop putting dangerous criminals back on the street. They need to stop thinking that every victim was mixed up in something and that is why they lose their life. Also, if they were to start swinging some of these necks, people would start thinking twice before taking somebody’s life with no regards. Stop appointing these judges on the basis of friendship.

  27. I agree kim …. but this is soooo embarrassing. And I bet they wont be at all sorry for what they did. They blame everyone but themself for what happened.

  28. MIlky is a racist fool … ONE

    TWO … Donald is a hot head … who since he won the world championship has been all over showing off … and thinking he could do no wrong …

    THREE … the other two probably ws just with him and get catch up … watch… I have been on the track with them and Donald think he own everything and the world owes him even more

  29. This is the reason we shouldn’t let these vacuous monkeys represent us. If this were white people, this type of crass conduct would not be displayed. Bunch of epic failures need to stick to hanging up on street corners and wasting their life.

  30. It’s so sad how we are so quick to judge. These negative statements which are made from one side the facts are they out of ones insercurities, low self-esteem or jealousy? Lets hear all the facts and support our brothers who are not in their home land. Let’s pray that this experience teaches them something positive!

  31. BREAKING NEWS UPDATE!!!

    The three athletes spent the night in jail but were released today
    They can come home but the Germans claim they will continue to “investigate’ the incident.

    The point here is this, if they are found guilty of a crime and fail to return to answer charges, warrants for their arrest will be issued. This will be a further damage to their careers.

    Bahamas Press/Editor

  32. It would be wise to hear all sides. But lests be real, regardless of what “really” happened, they were aressted and that looks bad. I trust that they had time to reflect the night they spent in a German cell. I know all work no play makes Johnny a dull boy, but they were there to run not party. C’mon guys get it together, can’t let the ladies keep outshining you. Our boys need more positive role models.

    • I mean we are all around BREAKING records! First Time hosting Miss Universe to 1 billion viewers around the world. And again first time 3 Bahamian athletes see a GERMAN JAIL! We letting the world see our good and ugly sides at the same time. WOW! Meanwhile here in the Bahamas someone gets murdered every 20 hours.

      If I was Mugabe, I would get an inch of sleep until the last girl visiting for the pageant is lifted in her plane out of this country. What wrong with us?

      Bahamas Press/Editor

  33. Kim I am going to have to agree with Larry on this….just walk away especially when you are in a country that is known for tough military practices.

  34. I totally agree with Kim, we cannot believe everything we read. We need to the circumstances and conditions that resulted in the arrest. More importantly these guys are national heroes for their efforts in track and field, they have stepped up to the plate and represented the Bahamas on numerous occasion, can we at least give them some support in this trying time. Finally, walking is not always an option, it sounds good, but if the way is blocked and life on the line more than just bottles will be thrown. Lets get the facts before we attack our brothers.

  35. These are young people and such conflicts are eminent. We have not heard whether or not they were simply protecting or defending themselves. Let’s wait to see the police report.

  36. @Kim Sands
    Some people’s inability to walk away, or as you say it, ‘lack of tolerance for foolishness’, is why people getting kill, left right and center in Nassau. Seemingly, much of our society believes violence is the way to settle their problems. So the next time someone get kill, and you pointing the critical finger at govt. pay more attention to those three fingers pointing back at you.

  37. I have to wait until I hear these boys side of the story, before I can comment. I just don’t see them boys going all the way to Germany to get in a rock and bottle fight just for the fun of it. They know they are representatives of their country. See, Bahamians are a very proud set of people and if you show them a funny vibe, they could forget they suppose to be representing us. They will not just walk away like that; they have to let you know how they feel. That’s our problem right there. We do not have much tolerance for foolishness.

  38. They mussy couldnt focus while in competition casue they was rushing to get to the club

  39. Donald couldnt win no medal cause he was too busy in Freeport showing off about all the moeny is iz be making … and promoting a beenie man show where 20 people show up to …

    DRAMAKING …slightly embarrassing? This frigging VERY Embarrassing … worse was they didn’t perform .. they all should lose their subvention …

  40. Wow!! No medals but records……tee hee…..I really shouldnt make light of this but our Bahamian boys gone all the way to Germany to get into a bottle and rock throwing war? They think they was in Bain Town aye?….lol….. This is too funny….and slightly embarrassing for us as Bahamians.

    Guys, next time at least get ONE medal before throwing ONE bottle…lol…

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