Superintendent Pinder pleads not guilty in fatal shooting of US worker Cody Castillo

Bahamas police superintendent Berneil Pinder, 54, denied murdering American utility worker Cody Castillo in Nassau's Supreme Court on Friday.

Bahamas superintendent denies murder of Pike Corporation worker shot through truck window

A Bahamas police superintendent who fatally shot an American utility worker outside a Nassau bar in March entered a not guilty plea in the Supreme Court on Friday, tribune242.com reports.

Superintendent Berneil Pinder, 54, denied murdering Cody Castillo, a 31-year-old employee of Pike Corporation, who was shot through the side window of his company's white Ford truck outside Da Plantation Bar & Grill on West Bay Street on March 21. Pinder was off duty at the time of the shooting, which occurred shortly before 6pm.

Police initially stated that an altercation had begun inside the bar and spilled outside, where a man entered a vehicle and allegedly drove toward the officer "in a threatening manner," prompting Pinder to fire in fear for his life. The Tribune later established, however, that Castillo had not been involved in any dispute inside the bar. He had driven to the location to collect his younger brother, his cousin, and a co-worker — all Pike employees.

Castillo was shot in the chest and was found lying on his stomach outside the vehicle in a pool of blood. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The killing drew swift international attention. The US Embassy called for justice "without delay," and US Ambassador Herschel Walker subsequently offered FBI assistance to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis called for a full and transparent investigation, as well as a review of firearm policies governing off-duty officers. Pinder was charged with murder four days after the shooting.

Investigators recovered footage from both a dashboard camera fitted to the Pike truck and CCTV cameras in the surrounding area, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe confirmed. Munroe also noted that police were treating Castillo's death as a criminal matter rather than referring it automatically to the Coroner's Court, as is standard procedure following police-involved fatalities.

Castillo, who was from Huntsville, Texas, had been working in The Bahamas on upgrades to New Providence's electricity grid. His wife was four months pregnant with their first child at the time of his death.

The shooting also had broader consequences for the infrastructure project he had been part of. Around 40 Pike workers left New Providence in the immediate aftermath of the killing. Bahamas Grid Company chairman Anthony Ferguson later said the incident left many workers "fearful" and contributed to a delay of approximately two months on the $130 million grid upgrade project.

Pinder appeared calm as he entered his plea before Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns on Friday. He is scheduled to return to court on October 7 for a trial date fixture.

Cassie Bethel represented Pinder. Eucal Bonaby and Betty Wilson prosecuted the case.

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