The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of alleged burglar Mark Heywood by police on Tuesday.
This disclosure came from Police Commissioner Henry Greene yesterday. When quizzed about the case, which has raised concerns among some sections of the public, Greene said that investigations are continuing and that the OPR is onto that particular matter. He explained that once a man is shot-the circumstances need not be questionable-the matter is taken to the OPR “just to ensure that we test and check on the processes, whether our systems are being followed, our instructions are being followed….”
Meanwhile, a post mortem was done on the 33 year old Robb Street resident and according to information gathered by this newspaper he died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Heywood, a father of two will be laid to rest on Monday.
Police had said in a press release on Tuesday that around 1 am ranks in Georgetown acted on information pertaining to a breakage being committed on the Crescent Cycle Store, located at King Street, Lacytown Georgetown, owned by Stanley Paul of Charlotte Street, Georgetown.
While proceeding to the scene one man was encountered, he dropped the cycle and ran. The ranks proceeded to the store where four others were exiting the building on cycles and were called upon to halt but continued riding away. A chase ensued and the suspects were cornered on Robb Street.
It is alleged that one of the suspects, who was armed with a gun, shot twice at the police who returned fire, hitting three of them while the other made good his escape.
Neville Mahase, age 43 years, of First Street, Alexander Village, Heywood, of 69 Robb Street Bourda and Norbat Baijnauth, 31 years, of Phoenix Park West Bank Demerara, sustained gun shot injuries and were all taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for medical attention.
However Heywood, according to the police, succumbed to his injuries around 7 am.
Five bicycles and four cutlasses were found at the scene.
The owner of the store subsequently checked his store and observed thirty four bicycles missing, police said.
When this newspaper had visited the man’s adopted family with whom he had spent the last fifteen years they condemned the actions of the police saying that they took the law into their own hand and were too extreme. Heywood has had brushes with the law over the years; the most recent was about one month ago.
Baijnauth, from his hospital bed, had disputed the police’s version of how things happened. According to him it was not the police who shot him but rather a civilian in a white car. He had said that he and Heywood were riding a bicycle on Robb Street when they were shot and they knew nothing about the break in at the cycle store. He also claimed that he did not know Mahase who was lying on a bed in front of him.
