A city constable was stabbed in the face yesterday morning during an altercation at City Hall with another man who fled but was subsequently shot and captured.
Chief Constable Andrew Foo confirmed the attack yesterday at a press conference.
Foo related that at around 9.30 am, Evert Rodney, who had been fulfilling community service obligations, went to the City Constabulary’s office at City Hall to reclaim a bicycle that he said was taken from him.
Rodney, Foo said, started to behave in a disorderly manner and several ranks attempted to arrest him. A scuffle ensued inside the building resulting in one of the doors being broken. During the scuffle, Rodney reportedly armed himself with a makeshift ‘jukka’ and stabbed constabulary officer Raul Bobb, after which he tried to escape towards the Stabroek Market.
As he fled, one of the ranks shot him to one of his legs and a standoff ensued between several ranks and the man around Stabroek Square. After several minutes of trying to arrest Rodney, the officers were finally able to subdue him.
Both Rodney and Bobb were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they were treated for their wounds. Rodney is currently in the custody of the police assisting with the investigation.
Meanwhile, Foo also touched on the city’s plans to ramp up security during the upcoming Christmas season.
“We have a mandate to show that we have an established presence within the city and we will conduct patrols by foot, vehicle and bicycles. And keeping with the upcoming Christmas period, it is necessary we ensure that we have a policing plan, and while it may be our desire to ensure that we have a plan to cover the entire city, we are not able to do what with our resources,” Foo said.
He said they will focus around Georgetown’s commercial areas.
“Therefore, all of our available resources, human and other, are going to be deployed within the Stabroek and the other important areas such as the Avenue of the Republic. Those areas that we are aware are heavy in terms of commercial activities and, therefore, it is necessary that we have policing presence, which will entail uniformed ranks as well as ranks out of uniform,” he added.
Ranks who normally work in the offices will also be deployed to increase the numbers on the streets, Foo noted. The city constabulary will be working alongside the Guyana Police Force, he further said.
Foo explained that focus will not only be placed on vendors but also the general public who frequent the areas during the season to protect them against incidents such as pickpocketing, trunking and robberies.
He added that additional focus will be placed on vending since the roads and pavements will be filled with additional vendors during the season, and, if not regulated properly, there can be serious incidents.
