The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) today said that it has recommended to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that three cops be charged in relation to the fatal shooting of Quindon Bacchus on June 10.
A statement from the PCA said that the probe into the fatal shooting has been completed along with the statutory report to the DPP. The PCA said that copies of the report will be sent to the official designated by statute.
“I recommended to the Director of Public Prosecutions that three (3) members of the Police Force are to be charged. It is for the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine who is to be charged and what offences he/she/they is/are to be charged for”, the statement said.
It was signed by the Head of the Authority, Justice (Ret’d) William Ramlal.
The government, the police and the PCA had come under attack for not speedily addressing the killing of Bacchus. On June 28, one of the regular protests mounted by Bacchus’ family for justice mushroomed into a large gathering that saw the East Coast road being blocked and fires being set. The gathering later began wending its way to Georgetown and at Mon Repos some of the protesters attacked, beat and robbed vendors there. On other parts of the East Coast that day, the police were accused of indiscriminately firing tear gas and rubber bullets during which some persons were injured.
The GPF, in a statement on June 10, 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 plainclothes 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.
A post-mortem examination later showed that Bacchus had died of multiple gunshot wounds. Relatives of his had said that his body bore signs of six bullet wounds.
