Peter Anthony Ogle, one of the three men killed by police during what they have called an attempted robbery at the Prashad Nagar residence of a popular Bartica businessman, sustained multiple gunshot wounds, according to family members, who said he had previously told them that police were pursuing him.
Ogle, called ‘Skin teeth,’ 46, of Bartica, Leon Gittens, called ‘Cow,’ 24, of Albouys-town and Quincy Alexander, called ‘Mac,’ 33, of Meadow Brook Gardens were shot dead on Wednesday at the Lot 93 Premniranjan Place residence, where police said they went to commit a robbery and traded shots with lawmen who confronted them. The police’s account has, however, been challenged by other persons at the scene.
Stabroek News has since learnt that the police force’s Office of Professional Res-ponsibility (OPR) would be conducting an investigation, since ranks played a part in the death of the men. A police official explained that this is the usual process once there is shooting involving police.
When Stabroek News arrived at the morgue, family members for all three men said that the post-mortem examinations were postponed until next Monday because the hospital’s freezer had broken down. The bodies are now at the Lyken’s Funeral home.
But Ogle’s upset relatives did tell Stabroek News that when they arrived at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s mortuary for a scheduled post-mortem examination, it was revealed to them that he was shot multiple times in the head, torso, arms and legs.
Ogle’s mother, Sandrine Harris, said that she last saw him a little before Christmas, when he was staying with her at her Bartica residence.
The grieving woman related that her son had told her that he had a few “run-ins” with the law and that it was his belief that members of the police force were after him.
He had appeared before the courts on several occasions, she said, but he had never been convicted. “He seh he come fuh cool off,” Harris explained, while adding that during his stay in Bartica Ogle worked as a construction worker at various sites.
He was, however, forced to return to the city after work “got slow.”
“He seh mommy is Christmas and Abby them gon need some help,” she recounted, explaining that her son was referring to his younger sister, Abiola Lovell, who resides in Georgetown.
Lovell told this newspaper that Ogle was at her home having an early lunch when he received a phone call. She said that the man left promptly after the call, without indicating where he was going. A few minutes later, a cousin entered her home and told her that Ogle had just driven off in a black motor car. Both Gittens and Alexander were also seen entering a black motor car, which is believed to have been used to transport them to Prashad Nagar.
According to Lovell, she later learnt that her brother had been gunned down by police in what they claimed was a robbery attempt. The woman said that that while her brother was staying with her, she urged him to stay off the street, considering his past with the police. She said that the man’s fiancé also warned him but he did not listen.
According to police, Ogle was currently before the court on two charges of armed robbery, discharging a loaded firearm and possession of a firearm without licence, while Gittens was before the court on a charge of break and enter and larceny.
The official force statement on the shooting said that ranks staked out the Lot 93 Premniranjan Place address of the miner, after learning that some persons had planned to carry out a robbery there.
The three men, two of whom were armed with firearms, entered the premises at around 10:05am, police said. Upon being challenged by ranks, the armed men opened fire on the ranks, who returned fire, hitting all three of them, the lawmen added.
The injured men were subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where one of them was pronounced dead on arrival, while the other two succumbed while receiving medical attention.
A .357 magnum revolver with two live rounds and a spent shell along with a .32 Taurus pistol with nine live rounds and three rounds that had snapped were recovered at the scene, according to the police.
Alexander’s reputed wife, who asked not to be identified, had said that persons in the Prashad Nagar area had told her that the father of her three children was on his knees pleading for his life before he was shot. According to her, he had surrendered after the other two were shot.
After seeing his body, she said that it appeared as though he was shot in the mouth along with several other parts of his body.
Her version corresponds with what an eyewitness had told this newspaper shortly after the shooting. The man had recalled seeing a man lying on the ground with ranks standing over him. Shortly after, he said, he heard several gunshots.
Sources continued to insist yesterday that the men had gone to the Premniranjan Street, Prashad Nagar residence to execute the Bartica businessman and not rob him as is being claimed by police. Despite more attempts yesterday, this newspaper was unable to make contact with the businessman.
Despite the conflicting reports of what transpired, the ranks involved in the shooting have been praised by acting police commissioner Leroy Brumell. “I am told that three gunmen tried to invade a man’s privacy and they were shot… But I think we should be glad that we have three less (bandits) and two (less) firearms on the road,” he told reporters following the opening ceremony of the Guyana Defence Force’s annual Officers’ Conference on Thursday.
“I think it was a good act and I want to compliment the ranks for the good job they did …I think they did some good work…,” he said.
Asked to respond to reports that there was no gunfight between the men and police, Brumell told reporters, “Listen, what the media can do for us is to put at the front of the papers, all bandits fatiguing persons, harassing people. If persons kill and rob people you don’t hear any voice, you don’t hear any voice, if anything happen you hear the police always late and sometimes if the police respond and take actions why do we have to answer all these questions…?”
He said too that people only talk when the police take action and stressed that “we want to rid this country of certain things and I wouldn’t say we would want to go about murdering people. If we catch people doing that we would deal with them.”
