The men who engaged the police in a shootout on Sunday night, had earlier committed a robbery somewhere on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) according to Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell; one of them is currently in hospital with gunshot injuries.
Brumell made these comments to reporters just after the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the fourth meeting
of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Commission which was held at Guyana International Conference Centre at Liliendaal.
“…It was alleged that there was a robbery on the east coast, the car was spotted in Georgetown. Police ranks were out there at the same time. It was alleged that fire was levelled at ranks out there and the ranks responded…,” he told reporters. Brumell did not say where on the East Coast the robbery had been committed or what might have transpired.
He said investigators are in possession of the car the men were in.
Police in a press release yesterday identified the man as Silk McLean called Arthur Nimrod, 25, of Little Diamond, EBD. According to the press release, he sustained gunshot injuries to his left side and left foot and is currently under guard at the hospital at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Brumell said too that police found a phone at the scene and that is now a part of the police’s investigations.
According to the Commissioner after the robbery had been committed police were given a licence plate number for the getaway car. “I think PPP 215 or something like that. The car was seen in town with some men inside. And Joint Services like they tried following. We had some firing…the car crashed and two or three men who were in the vehicle escaped but somebody turned up wounded at the hospital,” he stressed.
Police said in their press release that ranks intercepted a motor car on Bent Street around 21:30 hrs while responding to information received that the vehicle was used in a robbery on the ECD. That vehicle according to the press release subsequently crashed at George Street, after an exchange of gunfire.
When Stabroek News revisited the scene yesterday, there was visible damage to the front of a house at the corner of George and Leopold streets. One of the concrete columns holding up a section of the building was knocked out. There was also shattered glass nearby. Occupants told this newspaper that they are unsure who would be responsible for repairing the damage. They said the police had promised to return to conduct additional investigations. However up to when this newspaper left the area around 3 pm, no investigators had turned up.
Based on what residents of the area explained, the car was on Bent Street but as the driver attempted to turn into George Street, he lost control and crashed into the house.
An occupant of the house said that after the car crashed, the driver came out and started firing shots at the police, who returned fire. It is believed he was struck but somehow managed to flee. Blood splatters were evident on another nearby column.
The resident told this newspaper that when the car crashed two other men exited and fled down Leopold Street.
Police hope the wounded man would provide them with the necessary information to fill the gaps in their investigation.
