A Buxton Sideline Dam man was shot and killed yesterday morning in what the Joint Services said was an exchange of gunfire, although residents gave a different account of what happened, insisting that the man was not armed and that only one shot was fired.
Tyrone Pollard, 46, of Lot 81 Buxton Sideline Dam, died after receiving a gunshot wound to the upper right side of his back.
The police in a press release said that Pollard, called ‘Theodoris’ was shot in “an armed confrontation with ranks of the Joint Services at Eastville Dam South Buxton.”
The statement said that Pollard was wanted for questioning in relation to the murders of policeman Somdat Ramoutar and civilian Chandrika Persaud who were shot and killed at Brusche Dam Railway Embankment, Buxton, and their bodies burnt in their motor vehicle on October 18, 2005. He was also wanted for questioning, the police said, in connection with the murder of Army Corporal Ivor Williams who was shot and killed during a confrontation between the Joint Services and a group of armed gunmen in the vicinity of Company Road, Railway Embankment, Buxton on January 23, 2008.
The police said that ranks of the Joint Services had been conducting a cordon and search operation on a house at Webster Avenue, South Buxton, when Tyrone Pollard ran out of the building as they approached.
“Tyrone Pollard managed to reach the Buxton Sideline Dam at which point he pulled out a firearm and discharged rounds at the Joint Services ranks that were in pursuit. He then jumped into and crossed the Sideline Canal over to the Eastville Dam from where he again opened fire on the ranks. The ranks returned fire during which he was fatally shot,” the statement said.
It went on to say that an unlicensed .32 revolver along with two spent shells and three live rounds which fell into the Sideline Canal from Tyrone Pollard had been recovered by the Joint Services.
However, eye-witnesses said that the man was unarmed and wore flimsy clothes, which would have revealed if he had been carrying a weapon.
An eye-witness to the shooting, a woman, said that she saw Pollard running through her yard headed for the trench, which he then leapt into. She said that he was dressed in a pair of blue pants and a “shocking colour” jersey. “He plunged overboard and swim to the other side and when he reached over and gave himself up they shot him,” she said.
The eye-witness said he was shot in the upper right back and the bullet seemed to have exited through the front. “I only heard one gunshot… he didn’t have any gun on him,” the woman maintained.
Neighbours and relatives said that the man was frequently involved in domestic disputes and that the woman with whom he had the disputes had friends in the security forces on whom she called for assistance from time to time.
While this newspaper was on the scene, the Joint Services were still conducting searches of the Sideline Canal, although a weapon was said to have been found already. Eyewitness reports reaching this newspaper said that a police rank who was not part of the initial Joint Services party, arrived on the scene, leapt into the water and soon emerged with a gun and two spent shells. This was after the other ranks had been searching for some minutes and had come up empty handed.
Speaking to this newspaper, the dead man’s uncle, Clinton Adams, said that Pollard had been chased through the yard onto the dam where he reportedly plunged into a trench in a bid to escape the ranks, who were close behind.
He said too that Pollard had been shot after he had crossed the trench. A female relative of the dead man said that while she was on her way near to the scene of the shooting, she saw Pollard plunging into the trench.
The shooting angered residents who wanted to know why the Joint Services ranks had to take the man down after he had allegedly surrendered. All of the residents this newspaper spoke to reported hearing only a single gunshot, and knew nothing about an exchange of gunfire.
Pollard reportedly repaired TVs and other electronic equipment at his home. The police and soldiers went into the house and were alleged to have broken some of the appliances that the man had there to repair. People congregated outside the house waiting for news from the police about when they would be able to get their equipment back.
