Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie has ordered that an investigation into the fatal shooting of robbery accused Peter Headley by a cop be “swiftly” concluded.
Headley was fatally shot while being taken to the Providence Police Station.
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered that the investigation be concluded swiftly and the results made public. As soon as we have that information we will forward same,” Deputy Director of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Corporate Communications Unit, Stan Gouveia said yesterday when asked for an update on the investigation.
The police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is currently investigating the matter.
Two police officers, including the alleged shooter were initially placed under close arrest. However, Stabroek News was reliably informed that they are now under open arrest as the probe continues.
Headley, 45, of Dowding Street, Kitty was shot and killed while he was being transported to the Providence station.
An autopsy conducted on Monday showed that he died as a result of perforation of the lung due to a gunshot injury.
At the time, Headley was seated in the front passenger seat of a civilian car which was being driven by a cop. A rank was sitting in the back passenger seat.
The police had said that preliminary inquiries revealed that the cops were acting on a tip-off into an armed robbery that was committed at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD),\ on May 11, 2021.
The vehicle with Headley and another passenger, who is also being treated as a suspect was intercepted at approximately 8.45 PM at Nandy Park, EBD.
During a search of the vehicle, a television set that is suspected to have been stolen during the May 11 armed robbery was found, prompting police to arrest Headley and the other passenger.
Headley was placed in the front passenger seat of the civilian vehicle which was being driven by a police rank, with an armed police rank in the back seat, while the other suspect was placed in the police vehicle with the other ranks, police said.
On their way to the station, the police said that Headley reached under the seat of the vehicle and pulled out what appeared to be a firearm causing the armed rank to discharge a round which struck him in his body.
Headley, a father of two boys was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he succumbed while receiving medical treatment.
