The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has ordered an inquest into the death of robbery accused Peter Headley, who was fatally shot after being arrested more than five months ago and recommended that a police officer face departmental charges for his role in the events.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack made the recommendations recently after reviewing the case file.
The file was forwarded to the DPP’s chambers by Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), retired Justice William Ramlal.
Sources told this newspaper that the DPP recommended that Lance Corporal 21011 Thowen Carroll be charged departmentally with neglect of duty.
The Lance Corporal will be charged departmentally for his failure to ensure that the vehicle in which Headley was being transported at the time of the shooting had been properly searched prior to their departure for the Provi-dence Police Station.
As the person in charge of the patrol, it was found that the Lance Corporal also failed to ensure that Headley was appropriately restrained by handcuffing him.
The two departmental charges fall under Section 4(e) (ii) of the Police Discipline Act.
Headley, 45, of Dow-ding Street, Kitty was shot and killed by the police on May 16 while he was being transported to the Providence Station.
An autopsy later showed that he died as a result of a perforation of the lung due to a gunshot injury.
Two police officers, including the one who shot Headley, were initially placed under close arrest. They were later placed on open arrest.
No charge was recommended against the second officer.
At the time of the shooting, Headley was seated in the front passenger seat of a civilian car, which was being driven by a policeman. A rank was sitting in the back passenger seat.
The police had said that preliminary investigations revealed that the lawmen were acting on a tip-off about an armed robbery that was committed at Her-stelling, East Bank Deme-rara (EBD) on May 11, 2021.
The vehicle with Headley and Rondel Daly, the man who was arrested with Headley, 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.
Headley, a father of two, was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he succumbed while receiving medical treatment.
Commissioner of Police (ag), Nigel Hoppie had ordered that the investigation into the shooting be “swiftly” concluded and the results made public.
As of yesterday, the police had not provided an update on the latest development neither were the findings of the probe released to the public as promised.
Headley’s relatives have held a number of protests in their quest for justice.
