Two prison escapees and another person died last night following a reported shoot-out with police at Better Hope South, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Police sources told Stabroek News that the shooting occurred around 10.30pm.
The police this morning said that Mazaruni Prison escapees Imran Ramsaywack and Ryan Jones died in the confrontation. A third person, a woman, is still to be identified.
Stabroek News understands that the police acting on intelligence received went to Better Hope South. At the time, the three who were shot were reportedly in shack situated in an abandoned cane field aback Better Hope.
During the operation, sources say there was an exchange of gunfire which resulted in the three persons being shot.
Sources said that the police recovered at least one firearm.
Ramsaywack and Jones were among four prisoners who escaped from the Mazaruni prison on February 16th.
Ramsaywack of Berbice was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the murder of a United States-based Buxton woman in 2015.
The charge against Ramsaywack stated that between March 25 and March 26, 2015, he murdered Samantha Benjamin.
Trial Judge Justice Sandil Kissoon at the time of sentencing had told the court that he found that the woman’s death was the result of a cold-blooded, calculated robbery that eventuated in murder.
Benjamin was a US citizen and proprietor of a boutique in the Vendor’s Mall on Water Street. In order to dispose of Benjamin’s body, Ramsaywack went to great lengths and effort to dismember her body. Her remains were found at the Annandale foreshore on March 26, 2015. Later the same day, the head, legs, and arms were found at the foreshore.
Jones, of Bartica, was sentenced to 28 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of Timehri mechanic, Puranand Baljit, who was stabbed to death during a robbery at his Madewini home in 2016.
In 2019, he appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Georgetown, where he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He had initially been indicted for murdering Baljit, called ‘Andrew’, in the furtherance of a burglary on June 9, 2016.
The police issued the following statement this morning
Ranks of the Guyana Police Force earlier tonight, at about 20:40 hrs on 2021/03/22, acting on information that the Mazaruni Prison escapees were hiding out at a location in the Better Hope South backlands, went to the said area where it was observed to be an abandoned field in a bushy and swamped area.
The ranks observed that there were three wooden shacks on the field with two partly constructed ones. The Police ranks began clearing the first shack but no one was seen. As the ranks were approaching the second shack, a voice was heard in the third shack and the ranks immediately called out indicating Police.
A male immediately emerged and discharged a round at the Police and then ran. The Police ranks returned fire. Two males and a female were wounded and lay in the shack with gunshot injuries, whilst one male escaped.
A sawn-off double barrel shotgun was found at the scene.
