Dear Editor,
Saturday, 16th January 2022, the front pages of the Kaieteur News, Stabroek News and Guyana Times respectively carried the following headlines: “SWAT member accused of killing Orin Boston, granted bail”; “Cop charged with man-slaughter over Orin Boston killing – widow maintains husband was murdered”; “SWAT Unit member gets $1M bail for killing Essequibo businessman”. The Guyana Chronicle did not carry the report on its front page, but on page 10 the paper reported, “SWAT rank charged with man-slaughter, granted $1M bail – as probe into fatal shooting of Essequibo businessman winds down.” The main theme of the various articles was that police constable Sherwin Peters, a member of the SWAT team was charged with manslaughter committed on Orin Boston on September 15, 2021 at his Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast home.
This is shocking news, as the evidence in the public domain leaves one with the compelling impression that the unarmed and naked Orin Boston was shot in his bed in the presence of his now bereaved wife Fiona Boston in the dead of the night when members of the SWAT team invaded his home and unlawfully shot and killed him . The general view is that the charge should have been murder. There are many vexed questions:
Who authorised the Police Headquarters-based SWAT team to travel to Essequibo? What was the purpose of the visit? Why was Boston targeted? Was the shooter careless or reckless? If so, was his action equal to cold-blooded murder? Why did it take over four long months for a charge to be instituted? Was the shooter a “lone wolf?” Why was a high-power rifle used instead of a small firearm of a lower calibre which is more suited for close quarters activity? Did the young inexperienced officer in charge of SWAT stand on the roadway and send in his untrained juniors into Orin Boston’s home? Was there any other criminal charge/s identified for any member of the SWAT team? Were there any breaches of the Police (Discipline) Act Chapter 17:01 and or the Police Standing Orders in the absence of a written Special Operations Procedure specifically created for the SWAT team? Did the Police Complaints Authority supervise the investigation of the shooting as required by Section 14 (1) of the Police Complaints Act Chapter 17:02 and were the recommendation/s of the Authority taken into consideration before the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended the charge of manslaughter? Was the Police Complaints Authority lawfully in force? Unconfirmed information is that when the killing took place the contract for the Authority had expired and it has not since been renewed. If the “Authority” had acted, was that act of supervising the investigation lawful? Will there be the usual wall of silence from the installed Corporate Communications Unit?
I would not be surprised if the police shelter under the pretext that the matter is before the Court and to comment on it would be sub judice, so they will remain silent.
The words of the song by Johnny Nash (1972) keep ringing in my ears, “The more I find out, the less I know.”
Yours respectfully,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police
(Retired)