A policeman has been detained for questioning with regard to ex-soldier James Nelson being discovered dead in Brickdam Police Station lockups last Tuesday, Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene said yesterday.
Greene was responding to questions from reporters following the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Junior Officers’ Course held at the Lloyd Barker Hall, Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary.
Before confirming the arrest of one of his officers, he said investigations have been intensified to determine what transpired.
“Having had the report from the government pathologist we recognise that the gentleman suffered some injuries and we want to find out how and why,” Greene said. “We are not saying that anybody is culpable but it must have happened somehow.”
He said the initial information was that Nelson “had to be subdued and we are not sure if it was at this point in time that this gentleman may have met some injuries”.
Greene said investigators are not certain that some of the people who were questioned have indeed given all of the facts and as such “at least one police rank, who we want to talk to a little longer,” has been detained.
This detention he stated was based on the reports from other persons and the belief that the policeman may have more information.
Nelson called `Jimmy’ who had a history of mental illness, was discovered dead in a cell at the station last Monday morning. His son who was the first to see his body had told relatives that the man’s face and hands were swollen. In addition, there were marks on his hand and a gaping wound to the back of the head. The man’s wife had told Stabroek News that she believed he was beaten by police.
However the police in their release had said that according to the information they received the 47-year-old Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara resident had been banging his head on the wall of the lockups during the course of Monday night.
However, relatives disputed that the man could have reached such a state, since he was not mad and had pointed out that that did not account for the wounds he had.
The police in a statement had said that the man was arrested a day earlier after he entered the compound of the Ministry of Home Affairs and began behaving disorderly, allegedly over money owed to him by a contractor who had sent him off the job.
He was spoken to by a Special Constabulary officer on duty but continued to behave in a disorderly manner and had to be restrained. The rank subsequently arrested him and handed him over to a police patrol that had been summoned.
He was place in a cell with 20 others but was discovered dead the following morning around 6:30 with a bruise over the right eye and a small cut over the left eye.
A post-mortem examination (PME) conducted by government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh two days later revealed the man’s death resulted from haemorrhage and shock due to multiple injuries. However, no information was given as to where Nelson sustained the injuries.
His relatives had told Stabroek News that day that they were told at the Georgetown Hospital Mortuary where the PME was done that he died from a ruptured spleen.
i have said it before, this is something i had never believe would happen in my life time, the arrest and questioning of an officer in the police force, what an improvement, after 38yrs of independence.
hope that in the future they will start arresting even the law makers if they break the law.
Nice try. They might quicker arrest you for the suggestion.
the brickdam lockup should be visited by the grha and closed down after
their visit full stop.
WATCH FOR THE THE NEXT COMING ATTRACTION .CALLED THE GREEN COVER UP
COMING SOON TO A NEWSPAPER NEAR YOU .
ALL POLICEMEN ARE ABOVE THE LAW IN GUYANA .
Some one know what happened that day in the cell, a thorough investigation will reveal what really happened.
THATS THE NEW THING NOW IN GUYANA DETAIN THEM FOR A FEW DAYS UNTIL THINGS QUIET DOWN THEN LOOSE THEM BACK IN THE PUBLIC AS HENCH MEN TO KILL AGAIN READ BETWEEN THE LINES DONT YOU ALL GET IT BY NOW NO POLICE HAS EVER BEEN CHARGE WITH MURDER IN GUYANA NOT ON GREEN WATCH
The cop that is detained should be kept in the the Brickdam lock-ups to get a taste of his own medicine, If guilty should be lost in the jailhouse and wipped.
This blogg makes sense, a dose of his own medicine, but remember, a fool can always fool the foolices, nothing would come of this, they r trying to keep us quiet, since as it seems, Guyanese citizens cannot say a word against, these popo’s, only we bloggers can, that’s because most of us r not there, this popo is not going to bite the dust, let Mr. Greene prove me wrong.
I agree, put him in there with all the stench so he can tell his squaddies what it is like,and lets see if there will be some action taken to improve things in there! Yes..I know ,I am dreaming!
Police brutality, spouse brutality who do we trust in this system? If this man had a ruptured spleen and a gaping wound to his head, those injuries, do not coin with banging one’s head. Mr. G get to the bottom of yet another cell death and let justice prevail.
Lock him up, the others who aided him & the ones who gave the orders. PLEASE let it be known that in spite of the fact that this individual, “Jimmy” was in the Brickdam ‘concentration camp’ he was actually arrested for behaving disorderly after being denied his dues for work he had done!
The police prey on the helpless. When it’s time for them to deal with the real arch criminals, they arrive hours after the crime has been committed or just lock themselves in the police station like the chumps they are.
Well said diehardguyanese . You hit the hammer exactly on the nail .
This cop is being made the scapegoat. He could not have done this by himself – plus where are the eyewitnesses?
I understand what u said, the old saying goes, “Peter pays for Paul and Paul pays for all.
This popo might not be the only one that did it, others may have coupled with him, or he knows who did it, as it stands, they were all questioned, the question now becomes, why only him,? is he a new rookie,?that the blame is being placed on him,? if it was’nt him, the next question is, why did’nt he report what transpired there,? or better yet, why did’nt he tried to stop what was being done to this person.?
All those who were in that station and the lockups, knows what transpired there, the prisoners knows, but they are afraid to spill the beans, other popo’s knows, they are protecting the code of silence, Mr. Greene is not going to allow the other popo’s to beat the crap out of this other accused popo.
In both services, (the GDF and GPF,) pips don.t fall nor stripes weathers any longer, those were years ago, ask Mr. Joe Singh, and all those old GDF men, then ask all those old GPF men, who might be still alive, like Bluff and others.