Nine prisoners broke out from the high security Mazaruni Prison yesterday and four members of a joint services search party were later shot during a confrontation with the inmates.
The four injured servicemen were air-dashed to the city after they were shot during a manhunt for the escaped prisoners, none of whom had been recaptured up to press time this morning. The police and army were deployed in a major operation following the afternoon prison break, which occurred during a routine feeding exercise at the prison. The prisoners were all serving time for serious offences, including murder and manslaughter.
The escaped prisoners are: Dineshwar Sooklall, of Wakenaam, who was serving a sentence for the manslaughter of schoolgirl Julie Sooklall; Kenneth Richardson, of Wakenaam, for manslaughter; Asrudden Khan c/d “Rocky,” of Wakenaam, for the manslaughter of Julie Sooklall; Anil Sanichar, of Zeelugt, for murder; Ryan Rambharose, of Mon Repos, for larceny; Trevor McLean, c/d “Footprint,” for manslaughter; Alvin Shivnarine, for murder; Randolph Rodrigues, of Plaisance, for manslaughter; and Royston Reid, c/d “Knuckles,” for trafficking. Police issued wanted bulletins at 2:04 am today, about half an hour after photographs were finally released.
The injured servicemen are prison officers Philip Stevenson, 46, of Vryheids Lust, East Coast Demerara and Michael Hossanah, 44, of Smythfield, New Amsterdam and police constables Leonard La Rose, 47, of Linden and Richeland Blanhum, 23, of Lot 3 Second Street, La Penitence.
Director of Prisons Dale Erskine said last night that the jail-break occurred at 4:30 pm during the routine feed up. He said the servicemen were injured during the search for the men around the Skull Point area. However, he would not go into the details about the escape, except to say that a joint services operation had been launched to recapture the men. He promised more information would be made available today.
According to the most recent survey, the Mazaruni Prison in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) housed 361 convicted prisoners.
People living in neighbouring areas were warned against attempting to apprehend the men themselves. They were told to let the police do their jobs but the situation in the neighbouring communities was tense.
Meanwhile, the four officers are hospitalised at the Georgetown Hospital in a stable condition.
Up to press time this morning La Rose was undergoing emergency surgery to remove the bullet that was lodged in his right shoulder. Stevenson who was shot in the upper right side chest and Blanhum who received a gunshot wound to the lower leg were admitted to the High Dependency Unit while Hossannah was placed in the open ward. He was shot in right leg.
The four officers were shot while combing the dense bushes around the prison along with soldiers in search of the escape prisoners. The shooting occurred around 7:30 pm.
Stabroek News was reliable informed that it was the prisoners who first opened fire and they escaped minutes after the officers fell. Following the shooting the injured men were picked up and rushed to the Bartica Hospital. It is unclear where the escapees got their guns from.
Due to the nature of the injuries the decision was taken to air-dash the officers to the city for further medical attention.
As news of the jail-break spread like wildfire, relatives of the injured men flocked the hospital’s compound and as they stood waiting for several hours many became restless. At around 11:30 pm two ambulances sped into the compound and were immediately flocked. Many began to wail when the sight of blood soaked bandages and their loved ones lying on stretchers greeted them.
Stabroek News was told that La Rose has been a member of the Guyana Police Force for over ten years and during this time he served at various stations in the interior. When he arrived at the hospital he was dressed in a hospital grown and was being given oxygen.
Relatives of Stevenson said that he was in the prison service for about three years. He was still wearing his prison warder cap when he arrived at the medical institution.
Relatives of the other injured men were trying to come to grips with the incident and were seen comforting each other.
A little over a year ago in November 2005, five prisoners escaped from the prison after ripping out wooden bars on their cell doors and cutting the chain link fence of the compound. Antony Macey, Otis Daniels, Harry Holder, Alvin Samaroo and Walter Ronald Wong managed the escape without any guns or dangerous weapons. One of the men had been serving a term for manslaughter, while the others were serving sentences for drug possession as well as larceny offences. Within days, all of the men were recaptured. One of the men made it to Riverview, Goshen, Essequibo River after stealing clothing to change his appearance and taking a boat at Karau. Another escapee was caught at the New Amsterdam ferry stelling where he was going to board the late ferry. It is believed the man was dropped off at Bartica by his accomplices from where he got transportation that set him on his course for Berbice.
The magnitude of Friday’s escape recalled the February 2002 Camp Street jailbreak, which saw Dale Moore, Troy Dick, Andrew Douglas, Mark Fraser and Shawn Brown break out of the prison. Their escape ushered in an unprecedented crime wave in the country which resulted in over two dozen police deaths in addition to a spate of robberies and kidnappings.
The jail-break is likely to send jitters through the security establishment just a month before a major international summit is to be held here and the cricket world cup a month after.
Anyone seeing or knowing the whereabouts of the men is asked to make contact with the police on the following numbers: 225-8196, 226-6978, 226-1326, 225-3650, 225-6411, 225-6940, 225-6941, 333-2151, 229-2700, 268-2222, 444-6941, 771-4010, 771-4012, 911 or any Police Station. Persons can also contact the Guyana Prison Service on telephone numbers 225-6003, 226-8301 or 226-5855-6.
