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.
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 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.
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.
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.
