A policeman has been detained for questioning with regard to ex-soldier James Nelson being discovered dead in Brickdam Police Station lockups last Tuesday, Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene said yesterday.
Greene was responding to questions from reporters following the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Junior Officers’ Course held at the Lloyd Barker Hall, Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary.
Before confirming the arrest of one of his officers, he said investigations have been intensified to determine what transpired.
“Having had the report from the government pathologist we recognise that the gentleman suffered some injuries and we want to find out how and why,” Greene said. “We are not saying that anybody is culpable but it must have happened somehow.”
He said the initial information was that Nelson “had to be subdued and we are not sure if it was at this point in time that this gentleman may have met some injuries”.
Greene said investigators are not certain that some of the people who were questioned have indeed given all of the facts and as such “at least one police rank, who we want to talk to a little longer,” has been detained.
This detention he stated was based on the reports from other persons and the belief that the policeman may have more information.
Nelson called `Jimmy’ who had a history of mental illness, was discovered dead in a cell at the station last Monday morning. His son who was the first to see his body had told relatives that the man’s face and hands were swollen. In addition, there were marks on his hand and a gaping wound to the back of the head. The man’s wife had told Stabroek News that she believed he was beaten by police.
However the police in their release had said that according to the information they received the 47-year-old Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara resident had been banging his head on the wall of the lockups during the course of Monday night.
However, relatives disputed that the man could have reached such a state, since he was not mad and had pointed out that that did not account for the wounds he had.
The police in a statement had said that the man was arrested a day earlier after he entered the compound of the Ministry of Home Affairs and began behaving disorderly, allegedly over money owed to him by a contractor who had sent him off the job.
He was spoken to by a Special Constabulary officer on duty but continued to behave in a disorderly manner and had to be restrained. The rank subsequently arrested him and handed him over to a police patrol that had been summoned.
He was place in a cell with 20 others but was discovered dead the following morning around 6:30 with a bruise over the right eye and a small cut over the left eye.
A post-mortem examination (PME) conducted by government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh two days later revealed the man’s death resulted from haemorrhage and shock due to multiple injuries. However, no information was given as to where Nelson sustained the injuries.
His relatives had told Stabroek News that day that they were told at the Georgetown Hospital Mortuary where the PME was done that he died from a ruptured spleen.
