With a cop under close arrest for the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Quindon Bacchus, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday afternoon said the Police Complaints Authority will be asked to launch a thorough investigation.
GPF’s Director of Corporate Communications, Mark Ramotar yesterday said the case file will be sent to the “Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority tomorrow to do a thorough investigation of the incident.”
Bacchus, a father of one, was killed during an alleged shootout with the GPF on Friday at the Haslington New Scheme, East Coast Demerara. He was allegedly the subject of a police sting operation which went awry.
Family and friends of Bacchus yesterday protested at Golden Grove Market Street calling for justice. During the protest, which was live-streamed on Facebook, an Inspector informed the family that the force will be reaching out to the family.
Responding to the officer’s comments, the family said they would like to see justice served and the investigation not being dragged out.
Apart from the family voicing concerns, many villagers who joined the protest also aired their views and urged that the police not sweep the facts and evidence under the carpet.
Many persons seemed agitated with the inspector on the scene for refusing to state if the policeman involved in the shooting was under close arrest.
In a statement on Saturday evening, Bacchus’ family, through attorney Darren Wade, demanded an impartial investigation and called for answers to a number of questions, including whether the Force’s Standard Operating Procedures were adhered to before, during and after the shooting.
The GPF, in a statement on Friday, had said that at about 14:30 hrs ranks went to the Haslington New Scheme to conduct an operation based on intelligence they received earlier in the day. A 22-year-old construction worker had provided information, the police said, and later led the ranks to Bacchus, who was in possession of a firearm at the time and had intended to sell it to one of the ranks who was operating undercover.
The statement said the plain clothes rank, who was armed, made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus, who left and then returned with the gun. However, during the handing over of the gun, the police said an alarm was raised and Bacchus suddenly ran in a southern direction while also discharging a round in the rank’s direction. The rank then took out his service pistol and returned fire. Bacchus was reportedly shot during a further exchange of fire.
The GPF said Bacchus had a .380 pistol with a magazine that contained one round. The police also said that one .380 spent shell and two 9mm spent shells were recovered at the scene.
Bacchus later died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The construction worker was also arrested and taken to the Cove and John Police Station, where he was interviewed about what transpired.
The family’s statement said that they want the police to say whether a wanted bulletin was out for the dead youth; what intelligence the police possessed in relation to him; and whether any shells or warheads were recovered from the crime scene and the location from where they were retrieved.
The statement also said that when Bacchus’s mother, Wonette Sandy went to the Georgetown Public Hospital to see his body, she was unable to immediately do so because the doctor informed her that two unnamed individuals, who identified themselves as the deceased’s brothers, had been given the opportunity to view the body. She stated that she raised an alarm since she only had one other son who was not at the hospital. Wade said Sandy instructed him that she witnessed several wounds which appeared to be gunshot wounds.
