Relatives of Earl Graham, one of the inmates who was fatally shot last Saturday at the Lusignan Prison, are questioning the decision by guards to use lethal force and they say evidence shown to them suggests that he was not among those who were reported to have been rioting.
Graham, a 52-year-old father of one, was incarcerated after he was sentenced to three months for charges of malicious wounding, assault and resisting arrest.
Although a post-mortem examination has given Graham’s cause of death as being due to shock and haemorrhaging caused by a gunshot injuries to the chest, the family says he was shot in his back and a video of him after his shooting shows no evidence of him having any injury to the chest.
During an interview, the man’s family members, who asked not to be named, told Stabroek News that they were saddened by Graham’s death and disappointed by the manner in which his life was ended.
A niece of the now dead man questioned the decision made by prison officials to use live rounds in an attempt to disperse a crowd of men during a reported riot within the perimeters of the prison.
She stressed if the prisoners were already caged and were within the perimeters of the prison, she failed to see why it was necessary for officers to use live rounds to calm a crowd inside of the compound.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Guyana Prison Service last Saturday, police said inmates were rushing the main gate in a bid to break it. “In response to [the] situation, and in a bid to contain same, ranks posted within the towers discharged several shots in the general direction of the gate which resulted in the injury of seven inmates and restoration of relative calm to the situation,” the statement added.
Graham, who was also known as ‘Slanto,’ and Winston Herbert, 21, were shot and killed while five other prisoners were injured by guards stationed in the prison’s towers.
But Graham’s niece explained that according to a video seen and information reaching the family, he was not a part of the riot. Instead, she said it was reported to them that he was just out of the shower when he heard gunshots and began running like everyone else towards the holding bay where they slept.
The video seen by this newspaper showed the dead man with his underwear under his arm, laying in a pool of blood.
The niece noted that not all inmates were criminals. She further said that while some have committed a crime, they are all still humans.
The family said the Guyana Prison Service should not treat prisoners inhumanely when it is responsible for the inmates and for addressing their needs.
The relatives said other measures could have been taken, such as using tear gas, pellets and water cannon, to bring the situation under control.
They also said that in videos seen, they could not recognise the violence claimed by authorities as they only saw inmates pelting bricks, although it was unclear who the inmates were targeting.
It was further stated that the officers could have managed the situation better as they are trained to deal with such scenarios.
Graham’s niece questioned how prisoners were able to gain access to matches to start fires and access to cellular phones, if the officers in the prison were doing their jobs. She thinks a lack of routine checks at the prison may be the cause.
The grieving family argued that if the prisoners were over the perimeters of the prisons, live rounds could have been used, but maintained that it was wrong to use live rounds after an alleged riot started within the prisons.
Graham’s niece said her uncle was facing the consequences as a result of an altercation between him and a woman with whom he shared a relationship and he
was due to be released in about two weeks. He had worked as a handyman for most of his life and was described as a jovial and helpful person.
Last Saturday’s shooting capped off hours of protests by inmates over a number of issues, including overcrowding at the facility and the risk of exposure to COVID-19, which were raised earlier on the day when the Home Affairs and Health ministers visited.
The statement from the police said during a discussion by the Home Affairs and Health ministers with inmates of Holding Bay 1, some prisoners from other holding bays became aggressive and began throwing missiles, which led to the ministers ending the visit and leaving.
It added that after the officers left the main compound, the situation rapidly deteriorated into “mass disorder,”
Meanwhile, responding to questions asked about the unrest from APNU+AFC parliamentarian Geeta Chandan-Edmond in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn said that while the loss of lives during last Saturday’s riot was regrettable and sad, the actions taken were necessary to prevent a jailbreak.
