While relatives of Gary De Florimonte will have to wait on an autopsy to determine what killed him, police yesterday maintained that they are not blame saying they did not fire at the man and refuted accusations by residents.
“The police are saying that they never chased him or discharged any round,” Crime Chief Seelall Police told Stabroek News yesterday.
De Florimonte’s decomposing body was found behind the home of one of his neighbours on Saturday—three days after he was last seen trying to get away from police during a raid targeting gamblers. The body of the 28-year-old, who was also known as ‘Saddam’ and ‘G,’ of Lot 67 Sparendaam Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara, bore three cavities and residents say that he was fired on by police on Wednesday night, although lawmen did not report firing any shots during the operation.
Persaud said yesterday that persons have given statements saying that the dead man was playing dominoes with persons in the area when he spotted the police and fled.
He said that the police were heading in the same direction as the man but they were not going after him. He said that the persons who gave statements said that shortly after the man began running, they heard gunshots. “The police are claiming that they did not chase him and discharge at him,” Persaud said.
However, on Saturday residents were angry and remained adamant that the man’s death was as a result of him having been shot by police on Wednesday night, when they carried out a raid in the area. “They de gambling on Wednesday night in front deh and [name given] call the police on them… the police drive through and everybody start fuh run away but then they fire in the air and some people stay but Saddam know he ain’t get he luck with them, so he jump that fence but fall, hitting he back and they lick shots behind he,” an eyewitness had recounted.
The events described were similar to what police had reported in 2010, when they said that De Florimonte had fired on them and escaped.
They had issued a wanted bulletin for him, saying that several members of a Joint Services patrol came under fire while pursuing him in the Plaisance Squatting area.
According to that police release, just after midnight on December 9, 2010, members of the patrol had encountered De Florimonte, who was wanted for questioning in relation to a number of robberies on the East Coast. They said that he was among a group of men gaming at the Plaisance Squatting area.
The police stated that De Florimonte ran from the scene and was pursued by ranks, during which time he discharged several rounds at them.
The man managed to elude the lawmen.
De Florimonte’s family disputed that the man ever fired at the police, saying that he was known to gamble and was scared of the police because he feared victimisation since he was Rastafarian.
They said that he was arrested a few times before, twice charged, but all cases against him were dropped. For this reason, a relative said, when he was last released from police custody he took to mining in the interior because he wanted to “keep out of trouble and make things right for his youths and his family.”
They said he returned home in December and was waiting to return after the Mashramani celebrations.
His body will remain at the Lyken’s Funeral Home until a post-mortem examination, now scheduled for tomorrow.
Relatives said they were told that the post-mortem examination was “put off” but Persaud said he did not know why this was so.
