Shaquille Grant, the 17-year-old who was killed during a police operation in Agricola earlier this week, was shot three times, a post-mortem examination (PME) conducted yesterday morning revealed.
Alliance For Change Chairman and attorney Nigel Hughes, who witnessed the PME at the Georgetown Public Hospital morgue, told Stabroek News that Grant was shot in the head, below the heart and in the buttocks. The two other wounds visible on the young man’s body, he said, are exit wounds.
Grant, of Lot 72 ‘BB’ Eccles, East Bank Demerara was fatally shot some time after 11 am on Tuesday at Third Street, Agricola, where Romel Bollers, 19, was also shot. The police force said that ranks opened fire after they were first fired upon and that a gun was later recovered.
Hughes said that they will complete the taking of statements during the weekend after which they will submit them to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, once she can provide assurance that the witnesses’ safety will not be jeopardised.
When contacted yesterday, Crime Chief, Seelall Persaud said investigators are currently doing an analysis of the firearms that were used in the shooting. He said he was uncertain whether that was the last piece of information needed to be submitted to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA). He explained that from the PCA, the file will then be sent to the DPP for advice.
Meanwhile, Bollers was released on Thursday on $50,000 bail along with the other boys held by police on Tuesday. This information was related by Grant’s aunt, Melissa (only name given), who said that the others were not released on bail.
After learning that her nephew was shot more than two times as was originally believed, Melissa said the situation is becoming harder for the family. “…Frankly speaking, everything just harder on us. We went to the hospital there for the post-mortem and everybody just crying. We still can’t believe this happen,” she said.
The woman explained that to the knowledge of the boys and other witnesses, Grant was shot twice. Now, she said, the family is forced to believe that he was shot again after being taken away from the scene of the incident.
She added that she is waiting on the next course of action that will be taken by the government and particularly further word from Commissioner of Police (ag) Leroy Brumell on what she considers “cold blooded murder.”
‘Where is the right place?’
Calling the incident unfortunate, Brumell had told family and friends of the slain teen who had gathered in protest action in front of Police Headquarters, Eve Leary on Thursday last, that Grant may have been “at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I want to express condolences to everybody. The family first and everybody in Agricola… Probably the young man, probably he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. But I can promise… we will conduct an intense investigation.”
However, relatives have expressed their astonishment at this statement and are calling for it to be retracted by the commissioner.
“Where is possibly the right place? I mean, we can’t be sleeping in our beds all the time. Where is the right place? You have to have the right choice of words. It is your people that you are in charge of that murdered a teen. They give a frivolous statement that they heard these boys were going to commit a crime… I need him to explain where is the right place. If he can say where is the right place and justify himself then I can understand. As it is right now, I can’t understand,” Grant’s aunt, Desa Gray told this newspaper yesterday.
The woman said that while she looks forward to a thorough investigation as promised by Brumell, she was astounded by what was said as it related to her nephew being in the wrong place.
“I am more than shocked for a police commissioner to say that… I was looking up to you as one of the most brilliant persons… If you are placed to guide someone and you are called upon to say something to your people, you need to come and say something good. I felt so astounded to know that he would say something like that. It was wrong of him to make that statement,” she added.
Gray said the police have since been intimidating the family and residents of Agricola generally. She said they have made appearances at wake sessions held for Grant, demanding that people go home.
“It would have been his 18th birthday on Wednesday so we decide to cook up something and do a lil thing and they came at the wake and pointing guns… telling people to leave. I am worried for others. I have my son. What are we doing about it?” she asked tiredly.
Melissa supported this claim, adding that the van of lawmen sped through the street and loud expletives were heard before young men along the roadway were chased away. She said the batch of officers remained in their vehicle for about 15 minutes with their guns in hand, causing some amount of anxiety among residents.
Grey expressed that in future the police need to take a different approach if they want to make a change in Agricola and other communities. “These are our youths… they need to do things the right way,” she added.
“Everybody that came into contact with Shaquille knows, the most he enjoy was dancing, wine up he self, jovial, he in the football thing and dancing. He was a good person, not a criminal. Just like there are criminals out here, there are criminals inside the police force. He has to be charged,” Gray stated, making the reference to the policeman implicated in the shooting.
