The man shot dead in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni on Sunday, after he and two others attacked law enforcers who were carrying ballot boxes to two interior areas, is suspected to be a fugitive.
Senior police officials believe the dead man is Dwayne Little, called “Tattoo,” who is wanted for committing a series of robberies in the interior.
The body, which was brought out from the interior late yesterday, is yet to be positively identified by relatives, but apolice source said it is suspected to be that of Tattoo, who had been previously charged in Bartica for a series of armed robberies and was wanted for others.
Police had said that the initial report suggests that the man was wanted for a series of armed robberies in the interior and may have been about to commit another robbery at the Maripa Dukwari Landing, Cuyuni River, when he confronted the police.
At the time of the attack, two police ranks were escorting two ballot boxes to Maripa Dukwari and Kuru-tuku. While at the Maripa Dukwari Landing, police said the ranks were attacked by three men who were armed and who attempted to take away the ranks’ firearms. During the episode, one of the robbers was fatally shot.
The ballot boxes and ballot materials are all intact, the police said. They added that the attacker was armed with two handguns, which were recovered along with a quantity of ammunition. The other two men fled the scene.
A police source denied the suggestion that the ambush was designed to steal ballot boxes. They believe instead, the source said, that the man and his accomplices were attempting to commit a robbery and ran into the police. Another theory is that Little, being on the run from police, was hiding out in the area, and upon spotting the police and believing that they were on to him, attacked the ranks. The source reiterated that the incident had nothing to do with the boxes.
The man’s body remains at the Lyken’s Funeral Parlour, awaiting positive identification and a post-mortem examination.
