A 42-year-old porkknocker was yesterday shot dead by police shortly after he chopped two policemen, who were responding to a report of a domestic disturbance at his Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo home.
Nidal Watkins called ‘Shawn’ held the police at bay with cutlasses for some time before he was shot at least twice by two different police officers; acts his relatives say were unjustified. They said the man had been suffering with mental issues for some time and his actions yesterday might have been sparked by the death of his mother and an issue with his reputed wife.
Relatives said that the policewoman who fired the final shot started crying after the incident and began screaming that she had just “murdered”.
Police said in a press release that Watkins “was fatally shot by police at Vergenoegen following a cutlass attack on two ranks stationed in Police ‘D’ Division”. The incident, according to the release, occurred around 14:30 hrs.
The release said police officers from the Leonora Police Station, responding to reports of domestic violence and arson at Meten-Meer-Zorg and threatening language at his mother’s home at Vergenoegen levelled against him, went to arrest Watkins. Stabroek News later learnt that Watkins’ reputed life lives at Meten-Meer-Zorg.
“Armed with two cutlasses and a knife the suspect attacked Corporal 19364 Williams chopping him several times and Constable 21310 Solomon who went to aid Williams on his left hand,” the release said adding that Watkins was shot in the process and died before receiving medical attention at the Leonora Hospital. The ranks, the release said were referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital in “serious condition”.
When Stabroek News arrived at the hospital some time after 5 pm, the police officers were already there and were in the x-ray department.
Later, this newspaper noticed Solomon, whose hand was bandaged, walking around. After receiving treatment he was sent home.
However, Williams, who was more seriously injured, was sent to the operating theatre. Up to late last evening he was still there. This newspaper was told that he sustained injuries to his hand and back.
When Stabroek News arrived at the man’s home, relatives were distraught at the double blow that had struck the family. Several police ranks were already there taking statements from family members.
This newspaper was told that Watkins’ mother died overseas and is scheduled to be buried today. Her funeral will continue as planned as the family was given 48 hours to bury her.
His niece Nikita told Stabroek News that Watkins was not “in the right frame of mind”. She said that as a result of how he was behaving relatives called the police to “settle him”. She said that this was not the first time he had “acted up”. Watkins, she explained, had threatened to burn a house down.
The young woman later explained that Watkins had mental issues but was not on medication. She said she firmly believes that her uncle was taking on his mother’s death.
Watkins’ mother Beladora, died overseas on Monday.
Nikita recalled that the police came but were apparently waiting outside for others. She said when they arrived her uncle ran into the yard and locked the gate saying, “This is his yard”.
She told this newspaper that a police officer approached the gate holding a gun, while Watkins was armed with a cutlass. She recalled that Watkins ran towards the rank, who fired at him. She could not say if the round struck her uncle.
From all indications, this infuriated Watkins as he ran out onto the roadway.
“One of the officers fell and then my uncle hit him and then he ran behind another one and then the officer shot him,” she said.
She said Watkins was shot in the leg, following which he raised his hands in surrender. According to Nikita it was at this point that a female officer shot Watkins while he was on the ground.
She said her uncle was left lying on the roadway for about 15 minutes even though relatives were pleading with the police to take him to the hospital for medical attention. “They left him on the road like a criminal,” she said sadly.
She opined that had he not been shot a second time, he would have been alive.
She said that after the shooting a crowd began to gather and the police kept instructing persons who were there not to take photographs of the body. She said later relatives covered the body with a sheet after which a rank placed the cutlass the man had on top of his body.
The young woman stressed that after Watkins surrendered, the police had no need to shoot him again. She said she is upset at the way her uncle died.
Meanwhile, his sister Colette Joseph said she was at her Tauscher home when she got a message that Watkins had been shot and killed by the police. The woman said that by the time she arrived at the scene, his body had already been removed.
The distraught woman explained that her brother worked in the interior as a porkknocker and had returned home earlier in the day. She said Watkins “smoked [drugs] which triggered similar behaviour several years ago”.
The woman said that when he arrived home, he and his wife had a misunderstanding. She said that at some point during the argument, Watkins, a father of two attempted to attack the woman.
Joseph called for a full investigation into the shooting.
She was unable to explain what occurred at the home of Watkins’ reputed wife.
