Cop, three pirates dead
– missing fisherman found tied to tree
A shootout at Cromarty, Corentyne around 6.30 am yesterday has left a policeman and three pirates dead, while the partly mutilated body of a fisherman was discovered tied to a tree.
Travis Oslyn Glasgow
Detective Constable 18682 Travis Oslyn Glasgow of Fyrish Village, Corentyne was shot dead by the pirates, one of whom was identified as ex-soldier, James Gibson and another as Cliff Chichester of Mahaicony. The third pirate had not been identified up to press time last night.
The body of Hector Boodhoo, 57, a fisherman of Rose Hall Town, who had been missing since around 4 pm on Thursday, was found tied to a tree among some bushes at Port Mourant with cuts to his ear and the back of his head.
A piece of multi-coloured cloth was tied to his head.
After Boodhoo did not go home, relatives launched a search for him on Thursday night but came up empty-handed. They continued the search yesterday morning and came upon the body among the bushes.
Meanwhile, police had responded to a report that the pirates were spotted pulling in a boat, at the Cromarty foreshore, which they had hijacked from another fisherman, Bishan Motilall, on Thursday.
On seeing the police, the pirates opened fire hitting Glasgow and the police returned fire killing the three of them.
Glasgow, who was attached to the Whim Police Station, was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The police recovered two AK-47 rifles and one 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a quantity of ammunition including seven AK-47 magazines, 178 rounds 7.62 x 39 ammunition, fourteen 12-gauge cartridges and 28 rounds .30 ammunition, 17 round .40 ammunition, 6 rounds .45 ammunition, one round 9mm. ammo and an empty 12-gauge casing.
Clothing that the bandits had in a backpack.
One of the AK-47 rifles has been identified as being one of those stolen from the Guyana Defence Force. Police also recovered a backpack, which contained the men’s belongings including a quantity of marijuana, clothing, toothbrushes, cell phone chargers, two SIM cards, a few tennis rolls in a packet and a bottle of all purpose oil; presumably used to clean the guns.
Reports are that Motilall had just returned from sea with his catch and was about to tie up his boat at the Rose Hall foreshore when the heavily armed pirates pounced on him from among the bushes.
The pirates ordered him to empty the boat and he complied. They subsequently placed him along with his wife and daughter, who had gone to the shore to assist him, to lie face down on the beach.
At this stage, Boodhoo reportedly came upon the scene and the pirates grabbed him and took him with them. The men boarded the boat and headed upstream, but Motilall was not sure what became of Boodhoo.
James Gibson
Deeply traumatized, he and his family hurried out of the area. Along the shore they met four other persons, who said that “bandits” had tied them up earlier.
Stabroek News understands that Boodhoo was aware that there was not much gas left in his tank and knew that it would not be enough to take the men very far. He was scouring the area with this in mind when he spotted the men pulling the boat in.
He immediately contacted his family and they in turn informed the police who responded promptly.
According to an eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said, “within minutes dem [the police] don deh hey”. He said the pirates were in a clump of bushes “behind them crudah trees”. The four policemen saw the pirates, who began running away from them. The police were then taken to “wan short cut and then dem circle dem pirates in the bushes”. Cornered, the pirates began to fire shots at the police who responded.
Detective Glasgow, 25, of Lot 190 Fifth Street, Fyrish was killed in that shootout.
Doreen Glasgow (fourth from left) surrounded by relatives at her home yesterday. At front right is the dead officer’s son, Javis.
Doreen Glasgow, the grieving mother of the slain policeman, told Stabroek News that yesterday morning around eight o’clock, she received a telephone call from a police officer from the Whim Police Station who asked if ‘Glasgow lives there’.
She said she responded, “yes” and he went on to tell her, “‘Glasgow was shot this morning’, then he pause lil bit and say that he body deh at the mortuary”. She said she went and identified her son’s body, which bore a single gunshot wound to the lower abdomen.
Later on she spoke with the commander of ‘B’ division who told her that her son had been shot in the line of duty.
Doreen said her son joined the force since he was 18 years old; it was his first job.
This clump of mangroves was where the pirates were hiding when the police found them.
She last saw him on Thursday before he left for duty at Whim Police Station. She said he must have worked through the night because he did not go home at the end of his shift and she did not expect to receive such a call yesterday morning.
Glasgow has left behind a three-year-old son, Javis Akon Glasgow.
Police in a press release said Gibson was on bail on a charge of possession of firearm without licence before the court in Berbice. He was reportedly found with a firearm that was stolen from the Police Outpost at Rose Hall, Corentyne, which had been attacked by armed gunmen.
He was also later jointly charged with Oliver Hinckson, again over the possession of firearm without licence, and was also on bail in this matter which is before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. He was not attending court in these matters and arrest warrants had been issued for him, according to the release.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the same pirates had hijacked another fishing vessel MV Mark Counter 2 with its five crew members, in the Mahaicony River on Wednesday.
The small boat the pirates hijacked which ran out of fuel.
The Coast Guard recovered the vessel around 10 am on Thursday at Number 19 Village, Corentyne with its fishing seines, catch, and engines all intact.
The crew, who were all packed into the boat used by the pirates and left at sea, drifted ashore and reported the matter to the Coast Guard at New Amsterdam. The five-member crew was unharmed.
A GDF release had said that some men were seen in a clump of bushes on the foreshore in the vicinity of where the vessel was recovered but vanished as the Coast Guard vessel approached. (Additional reporting by Adrian Smith)
The weapons and other items that the bandits had in their possession.
Awoe!!!!!!!!
My younger sister is a cop and I pray for her daily. I ask the almighty creator to strengthen both families at this hour. For all these men were born of wombMan.
Good response time by the cops and a job well done.
Where are all these guns coming from. Guyana does not make guns. Strengthen the military to protect our borders and get both the GDF and GPF better equipped.
“Keep it “LIT”
Yes folks its the same James Gibson that was arrested with his hero Oliver Hinckson according to news paper reports….
This was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode…just a matter of time…. Gibson was given bail time and time again….the justice system failed Guyanese and officer Travis Oslyn Glasgow…..may you rest in peace Sir….Condolences to all family members……
Now we await the grieveing mothers and family members…saying how their loved ones were good boys and police had no right killing them like that…..
We await the mighty GHRA along with the powerhouse opposition calling for inquiries for “extra judicial killings” or wil they come out and support law enforcement and innocent citizes of Guyana??????
Or will they remain silent?????????
To the family I would say this, GOOD BOYS DON’T PLAY WITH STOLEN GUNS. And maybe the cops, should search there homes too. You never know what they might find.
The purpose of the GHRA and similar organisations all over the world, including Isarel, is to inquire into abuses committed by STATE agencies which have the STATE-given right to engage in deadly force and use coercive actions and which have to operate under clearly defined statues and regulations that govern their actions. Human rights bodies can only address the abuses of statutory rule-bound official bodies. If they were to address the violence of bandits then they would be giving a legal recognition to bandits that they don’t have and don’t deserve. Bandits operate outside of the law; they are plain lawless. How can a human rights body address the actions of a lawless, illegal, ephermal set of people? Police, however, operate within the law, with known rules and THAT CAN be addressed by human rights groups. When bandits are captured alive, they then come within the reach of the law and are entitled to all legal protection as enshrined in all the human rights documents of all countries in the world. If they are killed in armed confrontation with the police, end of story.
Very tragic indeed. however he did’nt lose his life in vain,because of his braveness God knows with that amount of heavy weapons how many innocent lives were spared.Be it now or later thoes weapons would’ve surely been used to rob and kill innocent people.May your soul rest in peace OFFICER GLASGOW.
First off my condolences goes out to the family of the slain officer who lost his life in the line of duty. For the three alleged pirates, however,,,,you reap what you sow. I am however left with the belief that this Government is somewhat banking on ridding the country of crime using this method. As an avid reader of world events, I must say that i do not believe this can be accomplished using this method. I am again calling for the ban on all firearms,,,, the Government and the Businessmen are dead wrong if they think they can solve crime by using the Joint services to try and match fire power with these hoodies, it has not worked around the world, and it will certainly not work in Guyana, one of the many reasons why, is that Guyana has too many porous borders where criminals can run for a safe haven..(HIT AND RUN) so until you place a ban on weapons, you will have a cylindal variation of deadly violence in which innocent people will lose their lives.
ONCE MORE PEOPLE, GUNS ARE NOT LEGAL IN GUYANA (some of you have been in the US too long) THEY ARE ILLEGAL GUNS YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE PENALTY SO STEEP THAT ANYONE WILL BE EVEN SCARED TO HAVE A PICTURE OF ONE. THEN WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM, A LOT OF BUSINESS MEN HAVE ILLEGAL GUNS FOR PROTECTION ALSO SOME POLICEMEN, YOU JUST HAVE TO JAIL EVERYONE WHO IS FOUND WITH ONE.
ISSUING A BAN WILL NOT MAKE PEOPLE STOP AQUIRING THEM ILLEGALLY.
LINDENBANNA,
It wasn’t the government that arrested Gibson and it was not the govt that put him on bail – twice…it was the police that arrested him and it was the courts that put him on bail. How else would you recommend the police conduct their operations to bring these men, loaded with heavy arms and thousands of bullets, in alive? Would you say (while the bandits are firing at everyone), “cordon off the area and use a loud speaker telling them they surrounded, come out” ? Yeah, right.
My condolences to the relatives and friends of young Glasgow, with that in mind I can’t help feeling a surge of anger, is this the `innocent’ Gibson who was charged along with the `innocent’ Hinckson. I wonder what the PNCR has to say about this poor innocent murderous pirate that has been killed taking another innocent life in his final moment. Whatever is done in darkness has a way of coming to light. The US should take note of this latest developments when considering whether to return Hinckson’s papers. Ak 47s – cops have been right along the thieves of the army’s weapons are coming to light.
Once again my sympathy to the Glasgow family and may the Lord Jesus Christ comfort you in this your darkest hour.
desiree up to yesterday some bluggers was hailing him as a innocent man( Oliver Hinckson) ,i wonder what they has to say today that his innocent buddy being killed?
Here are my comments in a nutshell: 1) Kudos to the ranks for putting an end to this criminal gang; 2) Condolences to the family of Detective Constable Oslyn Glasgow on their loss of a son and father …he made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty; 3) To the government…please take care of this brave man’s son from nursery to University; 4) To the people of Fyrish Village…please come out and give Detective Glagow a funeral fit for a hero; 4) To SN …please carry Detective Glasgow funeral when it happens; 5) To the President …your next police commissioner should come from the ancient county of Berbice…they seem to know how to respond and fight crime.
Ah yes, Fyrish village. A village I love, the good, the bad and the ugly. Oslyn was one of the good.Give Oslyn a hero’s funeral. And yes, Berbice cops ARE good. I know a couple.
come on MR D. NARINE IS FIT AND CAPABLE OF BEING THE TOP COP.
Sorry that the good man ( Glosgow ) ,died while trying to nab the bad guys, not forgetting that the bad guys could have actually killed the fishermen, the woman,her daughter, but somewhere in there hearts there was a little sypathy , thank god for that, nevertheless i applaud the good work of the GPF, and the G/ment should take full responsiblities to ensure Akon Glascow education and well being is taken care of.
My condolences to the Policeman’s Family.
First I would like to extend my condolences, to the Glasgow and Fisherman families. Those so called Pirates, got what was coming to them. And to the G.P.F, I say job well done.
Why are all these criminals with pending cases for armed robbery out on bail to commit more crimes? The President should issue an executive order to have their bail revoked and re-interrogated to determine where are the other weapons and ammunition. Not only are weapons missing from the army, but based on the recent discoveries, thousands of round of ammunition and magazines are also missing. Had the police thoroughly investigated other pirate attacks and robberies, the fingerprints of some of the criminals could have been linked to other crimes. I am sure this is not Mr. Gibson’s first crime since being released on bail. And to you magistrates and judges who release these dangerous felons on bail, you are indirectly responsible for some of the deaths. Our jurist must act more responsibly when dealing with crimes involving guns.
A LARGE brutal assault on businesses and innocent lives in Berbice or somewhere in Guyana for the Christmas smashed by the GPF…Congratulations guys
Sorry to hear one of our finest fell in the process. Condolences to the family.Be strong, Your son died in a rave act to protect the lives of many others.