The suspect who was arrested in connection with the murder of Cummings Lodge security guard, Michael Woolford has been released on station bail.
This was confirmed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who said the man, an ex-police constable, was placed on ID parade during last week and was subsequently released on bail after the eyewitnesses failed to positively identify him.
Woolford, 68, a father of 13 who resided at Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara was hospitalized since the evening of September 10 when he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) Accident & Emergency Unit (A&EU) after sustaining a single gunshot wound.
The police, in a statement on the shooting, had said two men, one of whom was armed with a cutlass, were involved in an altercation at Industry Crown Dam, East Coast Demerara around 9 pm when a driver stopped, exited his vehicle and discharged several rounds in their direction. One of the bullets struck Woolford, who was on duty at the nearby school. The two men involved in the altercation, Vincent Williams, 35, and Doodnauth, 53, both of Industry Crown Dam, were treated at the GPH. The shooter, meanwhile, fled.
One of Woolford’s daughters, Claudia Mohamed, had told this newspaper that her father was shot while on duty when someone fired at two men engaged in an altercation. He had his left eye removed after the incident and was scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the bullet lodged in his head. However, doctors were unable to perform the surgery because of his poor health; he was suffering from high blood pressure and had recently been diagnosed with cancer of the stomach.
When contacted yesterday, another daughter of Woolford told this newspaper that the witnesses did not fail to identify the suspect at the ID parade but rather were fearful for their lives. She said that the entire family circle and the eyewitnesses were hesitant to get involved in the matter since they were informed that the suspect had “high ranking links” and it could be detrimental to their safety.
As such the woman said, while she is quite aware that the case may turn out to be a “cold one” the e family is helpless. She clearly added though that as it stands now if the suspect approached the family and offered compensation it will be accepted in order to settle the matter.
