Rosaline Lloyd, the Better Hope mother shot during crossfire between police and vandals last Thursday, remains in intense pain and is unable to work.
Lloyd told Stabroek News yesterday that since the incident, her head hurts constantly. “Me head hurting day and night,” she said. A bullet grazed her head in the exchange, during which the lawmen were pursuing cable thieves.
According to Lloyd, she went to the police earlier yesterday and a senior officer indicated to her that the matter first has to go to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before she gets some redress for her injuries. She said the officer told her that afterward, she will have to wait a while more before her injuries are addressed.
“I can’t deh waiting so long. Look I can’t go out to sell because me head hurting,” the upset woman said. “I ain’t get feeling good at all,” she said, while noting that she was within inches of her life.
She called on the police to speed up their investigation, since she feels she needs further medical attention. “I am in pain and up to now they can’t tell me about medical attention for my head,” she added.
Meanwhile, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said that the matter is still being investigated. He could not say if those arrested in connection with the stolen cable were still in police custody or whether they were charged.
The incident occurred at about 5 am, when police ranks responded to a report that three men were seen stealing copper wire at Better Hope, South, police said in a statement. As the police patrol approached the men, “they came under fire and they returned fire during which they managed to arrest one man while the other two escaped.”
At about 5:50 am, Lloyd reported to the police with a wound to her head and stated that she was in her home when she heard what sounded like gunshots and felt a burning sensation to her head, police said. At the time of the shooting, she was attempting to shield two of her children who were asleep in another room.
The police were heavily criticised for engaging the men in the populated area, where residents said that they were all placed in danger. Based on the accounts of residents, when the police turned up at Third Street, Better Hope, South, the perpetrators fled, leaving behind a donkey cart with the telephone cable. They had apparently gone into the area to steal more. Ranks subsequently pursued the men, who were jumping fences. One was caught and identified himself as a resident of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara. Stabroek News was told that the young man later led police to several accomplices living in Better Hope and Plaisance.
The abandoned cart contained about 240 metres of the copper wire. The theft of the wire, which was valued about $1 million, was blamed for disruption of service to 500 landline customers.
