An investigation has been launched by the Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) to determine the circumstances that led to the death of a 30-year-old Ruimveldt man after he was shot at by a Police rank on Tuesday.
The man has been identified as Deanraj Singh called Steve Singh of Riverview, Ruimveldt, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The incident occurred at about 8 pm on Tuesday after Police officers from the Ruimveldt Police Station responded to a report of domestic violence.
In a statement yesterday, some two days after the incident, the Police Force said that Singh’s former partner Akisha Madramootoo is the one that made the report. They explained that Madramootoo and Singh shared a relationship that ended a few years ago but Singh would still frequent the woman’s Riverview Squatting Area home and assault her while damaging her property. He would also constantly threaten her.
Madaramootoo, as a result of the constant abuse and threats, was granted a restraining order against Singh on June 25, 2021, but that did not dissuade him. Police said on May 15, 2022, he violated the order by visiting Madramootoo’s home where she was beaten and had her property damaged. He, again, violated the order on May 24 by assaulting Madramootoo resulting in her contacting the Ruimveldt Police Station.
Police ranks, including a member of the Neighbourhood Police, responded to the report. One of the Officers was carrying a .38 revolver and six live rounds when they responded to the complaint.
The ranks went to a house at Riverview Ruimveldt, where Singh and some other friends were drinking. When he saw the ranks, he ran into a house, jumped through a window and dashed towards the Demerara River.
The police ranks as well as Madramootoo all followed him.
The Police’s statement related that the rank carrying the firearm was walking on a landing heading towards the river when he heard sounds coming from the bushes on the riverbank. The rank shone his torchlight in the direction of the sounds and reported seeing Singh with an object in his right hand.
That was followed by a “loud explosion”, according to the Police and resulted in the rank responding by discharging two rounds in the direction of Singh. The Police said that the rank reported that he saw Singh running towards the Demerara River where he jumped in.
A search was then mounted for Singh but was unsuccessful.
His body was discovered on Wednesday, at about 6:45 am lying face down on the mudflat in the Demerara River. The discovery was made by a fisherman who lives in the area.
Police said that the body bore a single gunshot wound to the right side of its abdomen.
A search of the area was conducted for the object Singh was reportedly seen with but that was unsuccessful. As a result, the dead man’s hands were swabbed for gunpowder residue, the Police related.
Additionally, the rank was swabbed and his clothing collected for examination. His firearm, ammunition and spent shells were marked, sealed and delivered to the Ballistic Department for analysis. He was also placed on close-arrest pending the outcome of the OPR’s investigation.
Singh’s body is at the morgue awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Investigations are ongoing.
