The security forces were on heightened alert last night after a heavily-armed gang parading as policemen carried out a series of shock attacks that left one person dead and two policemen nursing gunshot wounds.
Kurt Thierens
Colin Jones
The pre-dawn rampage began with a carjacking on the Linden/Soesdyke High-way, before it moved to the city where a barrage of gunfire was unleashed on two police stations and arson attacks targeted the Supreme Court and a public school (See other stories in today’s edition).
The attacks were later dubbed “terrorist acts” by Police Commissioner Henry Greene, who also revealed that Health Ministry arson suspects Kurt Thierens, called ‘Bage’ or ‘Glasses’ and Colin Jones were positively identified as participants by another man who was almost killed yesterday. The men were still eluding the police up to press time. “Investigations are proceeding rapidly as the law enforcement agencies seek to obtain the identity of the criminal mastermind of these terrorist attacks,” Greene declared yesterday in an address that was broadcast on television and radio. He noted that local authorities were still awaiting assistance from the US to trace persons who have been supporting the attacks either through financing or other means. In the wake of the incident, he also announced that the joint services would resume operations starting last night, including the patrol of government buildings and ensuring a heightened presence.
The police outpost that was shot at.
The campaign by the criminals started around just after midnight yesterday and would have all ended just after 0300 hrs. From police reports, the gang comprised at least ten persons, including eight dressed in police attire, which raised alarms yesterday as police moved to intensify their operations.
‘Simultaneously’
Greene told reporters at a news conference yesterday afternoon that the group was armed with firearms, including AK 47 rifles, shotguns and small arms and were using at least four different vehicles, which could have allowed them to carry out the attacks simultaneously. He added that the police were unable to engage the men because of the swiftness with which the events unfolded.
Attempting to clearly state the sequence of events, he said that it began around 00:15 hours with the carjacking on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway of three miners, one of whom-Wodette Roberts called ‘Buckman’- died. The miners’ vehicle was later used to carry out attacks in the city.
The Police Barracks located in the Brickdam Police Station compound. The building came under heavy gunfire early yesterday morning.
According to Greene, later, at about 02:30 hours, three men dressed in dark clothing, armed with firearms and wearing toques, went to the West La Penitence home of Clayton Westford, one of the men charged with the Health Ministry fire. He had been released on bail. The man’s mother Pamela opened the door after the men claimed to be police ranks. They then handcuffed him before taking him away.
Greene stated that it was later revealed that the armed men took Westford to the La Penitence Cemetery, where they assaulted him “claiming that he is talking too much and giving evidence against them.” Westford managed to escape and the men discharged rounds at him but he was not injured. Westford has since been hospitalized and is under police guard.
At about 02:55 hours, three armed men also wearing dark clothing and toques, approached the female RK Security Guard at the High Court in Georgetown and told her not to be alarmed. Sources say that from all indications, this was another group of gunmen.
Shattered windows at the police barracks located in the compound of the Brickdam Police Station. Gunmen targeted this building yesterday and injured two ranks.
One of them remained with the guard, while the others went to the Registry and later a fire was seen coming from that area. All three men then left in a gold coloured Tacoma pick-up vehicle which from all appearances was the one taken from the men on the Highway. The Fire Service was summoned and extinguished the fire, Greene said stating that damage was done to some records and a part of the building. A quantity of channa was found in the building.
At 03:00 hrs a group of armed gunmen in a gold coloured Tacoma vehicle proceeded to the Brickdam Police Station where they threw a grenade at police vehicle PLL 6345 driven by Lance Corporal 17830 Cummings, who was about to enter the compound. However, the grenade failed to explode. It is in the custody of the police.
Greene told the media that the gunmen then discharged rounds at the Brickdam Police Station while travelling along Brickdam, Manget Place and Hadfield Street, resulting in bullet damage to the walls of the Impact Base, Barrack Room, Traffic Office, Operations Room and the Divisional Commander’s Office. Detective Corporal Indarpaul and Constable Singh, who were in the Barrack Room at the time, he said, were shot and injured to their left ankle and right side jaw, respectively. Constable Singh was treated and later discharged, to received further medical attention at a later stage while Corporal Indarpaul was admitted for surgery.
Greene said forty-two 7.62 x 39 spent shells, five warheads and a 12 gauge cartridge were later recovered by the police.
Subsequently, at about 03:15 hours, while Westford’s father, Clifton, was making a report at the East Ruimveldt Outpost in relation to the incident involving his son, the Tacoma pick up along with a white motor car bearing registration number plate PLL 6081 approached and shots were discharged at the station hitting the concrete wall. No one was injured. Two 7.62 x 39 spent shells were found by the police.
Later, at approximately 03:30 hrs person(s) unknown entered the Richard Ishmael Secondary School and set fire to several areas of the building. However, the fire was put out as a result of the quick action by public-spirited citizens and the fire service.
Greene gave assurances that the joint services had responded to the incidents and are engaged in a number of operations along the East Bank of Demerara, East Coast, and the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway. In addition, joint patrols have also been intensified.
‘No clear motive’
Commissioner Greene was unable to offer a motive for the attacks but with the positive identification of Thierens and Jones he said that investigators have identified members of the group implicated in the Health Ministry’s fire. “We have seen the link between this matter and the first matter and therefore we maintain the link with those who may be in charge or involved overseas,” he explained.
He said these are the same men who escaped from the Providence Police Station and for whose capture a reward is being offered. He added that based on what transpired, it was clear that the men had linked up with others with the intention of carrying out the attacks. He said too that after their earlier escape, Thierens and Jones were reportedly sighted in Suriname but yesterday’s attack proved otherwise.
Responding to queries about the public’s ability to identify police, he was confident that the public knows the type of ranks who would be at road blocks. It was, however, pointed out that in the case of Westford and the miners persons came dressed as policemen. “We have got a number of teams out there right now searching and searching and searching, those teams will remain out there. We have to first find the vehicle that has been hijacked and any persons attempting to create any road block, or any such thing and is not a policeman will be severely dealt with,” Greene explained.
He later added that there would not be police road blocks at every street and members of the public who have doubts about the identity of a rank can ask to see identification. Additionally, he noted that the ranks dressed in blue and black and khaki are usually manning road blocks and very rarely those in dark coloured clothing. Those in the dark clothing, he explained, are part of the Anti Crime group and do special work. Asked about how the police vests may have gotten into the hands of the gunmen, the Commissioner said that he did not know but they could have been slipped into the country, which is just one of the ways, they could get them. He said he could not comment on whether the perpetrators could have possible been members of the force.
‘Fear’
Meanwhile, residents living near the Brickdam Police Station and the East Ruimveldt Outpost were still in shock yesterday and expressed fear for themselves as well as members of the force.
Residents near the station recalled awaking to the sounds of rapid gunfire that lasted for at least fifteen minutes. One man said that he was awakened to the gunfire and at first thought it was a joint services operation but later found out through an international news report that the station had come under attack by gunmen.
The man said that he refused to investigate and stayed concealed until it had stopped. He said too that the gunmen drove down Hadfield Street shooting wildly and at one point he thought that his home was under attack. Another resident said that at day clean she noticed police at the corner of Hadfield and Smyth streets looking around. She assumed that they were looking for spent shells.
Yet another resident recalled being awakened around 2:55 am to the gunfire and hours later saw a police and an army vehicle driving down Hadfield Street. At the Station, the atmosphere was tense and several policemen were seen walking around inside the compound. The barracks where the injured ranks were sleeping looked deserted and bullet holes were evident on several windows, some of which were also shattered. There was a uniformed officer at the gate ascertaining persons’ business for being in the compound before letting them pass.
The section of Brickdam in front of the station between Smyth Street and Manget Place was closed to traffic.
Concrete fence
Over in the East Ruimveldt area, things appeared to be normal. This newspaper noticed two bullet homes on the outpost’s concrete fence near the gate. One resident said that when she heard the gunshots and heard the time, it was 3:05 am. Another resident said that it was earlier than that. While speaking the woman appeared to be nervous and trembled at times as she recounted the events of that morning. She said as she was returning to her bed she heard at least four loud sounds which sounded like gunshots. She later investigated and learnt that a man who turned out to be Westford was at the outpost to make a report of his son being kidnapped by the men dressed as policemen. The lone rank at the outpost was about to open the gates when he noticed a vehicle with high beam lights approaching. The rank, she said, turned to the man and said the police were coming. But no sooner had he done so the gunshots rang out. The man, she said, fled the area in a taxi that was waiting on him while the policeman ducked for cover inside the station.
Meanwhile sources living near Westford’s home told this newspaper that around 2 am, men dressed like policemen and wearing masks over their faces went to the home and commanded the occupants to open the door. This newspaper was told that initially it was not opened but after the gunmen insisted that they were the police, the door was opened. The man collected Westford, who was clad only in pants and left with him. As they were walking through an alleyway near the man’s home, they fired a shot after asking the man if anyone was standing nearby.
Sources said that the man was put into a silver grey vehicle which resembles those the police force has and taken to the dumpsite using the Le Repentir entrance. Short after residents hear what sounded like a gunshot and assumed that the man had been killed. However about 20 minutes later he came staggering down the road covered in mud and blood but was speechless when he was asked questions.
With the local and International pressure coming down on the government for the torture of the 15 year old boy…i see ALL of these events as a distraction to take our minds off the torture and focus on these crimes….ask yourself this question…”WHO WOULD GAIN FROM ALL OF THIS”????
I hear you loud and clear. The poor boy recognized one of them and had to die. Our protectors are also our executioners.
AT LEAST YOU CANNOT GAIN FOR SUPPORTING DESTRUCTION.
Press Officer, SandHurst on the job at 5.31am!
I though you would KNOW when you ask…
”WHO WOULD GAIN FROM ALL OF THIS”
ANSWER: Folk who want civil disorder and chaos in Guyana. But you would’nt know ’bout that.
I am not saying that these events didn’t occur, but after carefully reading this article and analysing the content in it Greene and his men have no clue of what went down that morning.
According to this article, within 30 minutes this PARTICULARLY gold coloured Tacoma pick-up vehicle along with a white car carried out all these events. If anyone follows the sequence of this gold coloured Tacoma pick-up vehicile, including the time these men have spent with the boy in the La penitence cemetery you will see that the timing is not adding up right.
Greene is having trouble figuring out what really went on in the wee hours that morning. That is why the PPP gov’t should have accepted the British offer but then again transparency is what they don’t want. SEE YAH!
OH SANDHURST PLEASE , IM SUPRISE YOU DIDNOT PRAISE THE ATTACKERS.
ask the politicians that. Politicians na concern who gain as long them gain
Correct James…Satish I love to wake before the sun comes up…makes me feel good, you might not know anything about that especially when its cold over there…Only one set of people will gain from all of this, the PPPeeeeeeee…pressure off the torture!!!!
Oh you want know ooh gon gain??? The organised criminals and their organisers will gain…
Sandhurt we all know the answer. Guyanese cannot continue to accept these crap and diversionary tactics. The country is falling apart.
SHF, I am sure as hell glad that you are not responsible for protecting Guyanese and upholding the laws of Guyana.
“Dude”…THE SAME BLOODY THING THE CANADIANS SAYING ABOUT YOU!!!
The opposition parties have nothing to GAIN from all of this….They gained enough from the TORTURE of the 15 year old…the ruling party have a lot to gain from taking out attention away from that story……
NEXT!!!!
Sandhurst I believe that Fineman has risen from the grave a la Chuckie. God help us.
wag the dog Bob this is classic wag the dog.
The PPP informed the Guyanese people that during the Enmore and Bartica killings, the gang was well organized and also used the guise of lawmen. Fineman and his band his mystical band of cohorts were then blamed.
Inlight of fineman and his gang being killed by the state’s police; are we to believe that he resurrected from his grave to re-enact or commit this assault since it has the same traits?
I will let the intelligent bloggers on the site ponder that but for some reason I think they already have the mystery solved.
There was nothing MYSTICAL about Fineman. He was just a plain old psycho being used by the BRAINY ONES.
You are wrong again when you foolishly state that his entire gang was killed. Half of them were never caught and the police forgot to look for them after a while.
They are back WITH NEW BLOOD!
One more thing: The CEO of the Fineman terrorist saga was never fingered.
I can’t tell you more for fear of the moderator.
If our government was serious about stamping out crime, they would have accepted the police reform assistance offered by the UK. The real problem is that a reformed and uncorrupted police force would not suit the purposes of the powers that be. A clean force will not provide cover ups and will not do their dirty work for them and this is why they did not accept assistance. Compromise sovereignty my tail pipe!
Jessica Fletcher,
Think outside of the box for once nah.
You only need to contact Roger Kahn to get more on the Fineman gang.
Bismattie, the trained young ones have grown up and ready to take over. So, here we go again with these crimes.
Satish ! You have your work cut out for you these few days. Well, keep plugging away.
Bismattie, you are only about words and more words. I assume they all sound good to your ears only. High sounding words with no substance and convey no effective meaning like, mystical, cohorts, state’s police, resurrected, re-enact, same traits, are all irrelevant and inappropriate. Is it really the PPP informed the Guyanese people or the police?
Bis, is the number 174.113.121.253 mystical? It’s not found anywhere!
Bob we may have to bring you back home to advise the PPP on security matters.
Anmol:
lady shud fight lady, leff da flower alone. yuh kyaan neva win. Dats y mei gettin home cooked food!
She seem to kno wha she talking bout wid exponential megaaaaaaaa disproportionate distortian. She asking if Fineman really dead. Me sure you bin a Fineman finnerral too.
Foh fine she compu-ip, try google de Jane and Finch area. If nat, i man tink she wan Phantom!
While the President lost no sleep while criminals and other others died during the ‘drug wars’, he was still sleeping when the orders were given to execute criminals, knowing that 33 AK47 were missing. They had Fineman and ‘Skinny’ both cornered and no one woke up to change the orders to capture a them alive to get info on the missing weapons and all their cohorts. We are now seeing the result of all the top brass not losing sleep with dozens of assault weapons still missing.
How can men show military precision in some parts of this operation and total idiocy matching that of Inspector Clouseau in other aspects? I am not convinced by Greene’s statements.
The country is in chaos and the people are on edge. The police have lost the moral high ground and are scared. A failed state in the making right before our very eyes. I hope there is some intervention divine or man-made to deliver this cursed nation.
The first goal of any government is the security and safety of its citizens and by that yardstick this Jagdeo administration has failed miserably.
The WTC bombing of 1993 was meticulously planned. A Ryder rental truck was used to store the explosives.
The day after the blast, one of the perps (who rented the truck in his real name) went back to the truck rental company and demanded a refund.
Ceasing this is classic wag the dog, notice when PPP and ramsammy was on the run about details coming out of the RK trial in NY MOH was mysteriously burnt down, up to now dat has not been solved.
Now this on the heels of the torture case by the foolice on a teenager.
We have seen this way too often this is sinister stuff man.
The Government has been given clear warning that this attack was coming. The Government is well aware that before the next election is over, there will be many more terrorists attacks like these perpetrated by the ten terrorists bombers dress as police.
The hapless police have belated acknowledged that the terrorist organisation is getting financing and logistics from USA and although they have come to the party late, IT IS A START. The Guyana Embassies in the US must have permanent military attachés who will follow activists there and prepare cases for US prosecutions/deportation. These US intellectuals in the Guyanese Diapora were known during the Fineman saga and nothing appears to have been done about them.
Wake up Mr Greene, Guyana calling.
When the names of those in the US supporting terrorism in Guyana surface lets hope that its not anyone we know.Jeez Bin laden is probably hiding in the US.
Greene and the Guyana ambassador in the U.S.A. is in a sleep paralysis.
Satish,
You mean; Wake up Mr Green, USA calling.
I hope the other bats on this blogosphere will someday see that those responsible for the murders and chaos are the ones who criticize and condemn the democratically elected government of Guyana. This tactic of covert terrorism to destabilize the GOG and then point fingers (blame the govt)will not work.
Satish,
RK spoke of a “coup” and I think that earned him a special one way flight; the drug trafficking thing was just to keep the media busy. Stay tuned, Guyana has become a prize, the only english speaking country in S.A., next to Hugo, soon to pump oil, ect, ect…
Marc,
watch this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWkTroGwdmc
Yes Satish ! The gov’t should know of future attacks.
“taken to the dumpsite using the Le Repentir entrance. Short after residents hear what sounded like a gunshot and assumed that the man had been killed. However about 20 minutes later he came staggering down the road covered in mud and blood but was speechless when he was asked questions”.
SN what happen to him, he became dumb. garbage, BIAS TO THE CORE.
YARNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
if the police do not stop all of their brutality, corruption, and terrorist attacks on nnocent civilians (people are deemed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law) then it seems as if there will always be retaliation by the locals.
Could someone explain to me why these arrogant preachers of Guyanese sovereignty are seeking the help of the colonial forces in identifying arsonists?
Can’t they go to Mr. Chavez and Putin and Basshar to receive this help?
I yearn for the day the US and Canada will follow the example set by the British recently and isolate this government and its supporters.
Can anyone say smoke screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen.
I’m with you.
SSSSSSSMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEE
SSSSSSSCCCCCCRRRRRRREEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNN
PPP U can fool some people sometimes, but u cant fool all d people all d time,so when some find dem back against d wall they gon fight for they life.
Onelove, a very plain and simple point you have made indeed. It is said history is on the side of the oppressed. Many of us, when we were all young and growing up i am sure many of use never thought we would see Nelson Mandela walk out of jail alive. How many of us ever thought we would see a Black American being elected President of the USA. And other such achievements that we were prevented from. So the elected dictators, can fool some people sometimes but you can’t fool all the people all the time.And not as long as they like.
These are terrorist acts against the Guyanese State . We must not tolerate these types and this type of behaviour, for as we know Prime, President, Kabakka, Burnham would not have tolerated them in his time of misguided and mismanaged rule of our dear land of Guyana. These hooligans are a menance to a free and fair Guyana.
One day the people shall say “no more”. That has not yet arrived.
WOW HOOLIGANS HA ? Sister, did you call Roger and active members of the GPF hooligans when they had you hiding under your bed every time them big guns go pow pow ? As soon as you got da visa you left in a hurry,why did you do that and every thing in Guyana is ok ?
Instead of sitting here and expressing outrage you should go there and do something.