-says wanted in murder, robbery probes
More than two months after persons were brutalized, shot and arrested during police operations to capture Tyrone `Cobra’ Rowe, police yesterday issued a bulletin for him saying that he was wanted for questioning in a murder and a series of robberies.
According to the bulletin there was no photograph available for Rowe and his age was listed as 19. The man’s relatives had told this newspaper that he was 17-years-old.
The bulletin further stated that the teen is of medium build and dark in complexion. His last known address is Independence Boulevard, Albouystown.
The police last evening did not state what murder he was wanted in connection with but this newspaper was reliably informed that he has been implicated in the shooting to death of police constable, Vickram Singh last Friday night at the entrance to Lamaha Springs (the joint services scheme). Rowe who police have said is the leader of a gang committing gun crimes in the city is being hunted by the Force’s anti crime unit.
Rowe’s name first surfaced in May after two men were brutalized by police at a resort on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway. The two men, Colin Jack and Fabian Levius, had revealed that the police assaulted them after one of them was mistaken for ‘Cobra’.
The men in speaking to the media had detailed how they were wrongfully taken into police custody. The police subsequently apologised to the men.
Following the execution of dray cart driver, Jamal `Radio’ Beete on June 19, relatives revealed that he was the older brother of Rowe. The men’s mother, Donna and sister Malika both said that they had lost contact with Rowe.
According to Donna from the age of eight months, Rowe was taken to live with his maternal grandmother. Between sobs she had explained that she didn’t raise the teen and hadn’t been in contact with him in recent times.
The woman had recalled that around 5 am on a Sunday, a large number of police surrounded her Albouystown home while others barged in stating that they had received information that a wanted man was in her house. The woman told this newspaper that the ranks ransacked her refrigerator and snatched her young grandson to look at his face. Donna’s child-father and a son were held and ranks subsequently left with two photographs, neither of which was of Rowe. The woman had said too that in her statement to the police, she admitted that the wanted man was her son but she did not know his whereabouts.
Malika had earlier said that the last time they had seen him was when he was 13 years old when he attended school.
At the age of 13, Malika had added, Rowe was already a troublesome child. He was getting into trouble for petty crimes and was always in fights. The woman said that on one occasion, their mother had attempted to correct his bad behaviour but the grandmother instructed her to leave him alone and was adamant that there was nothing wrong with him.
Since that incident, Rowe, Malika said, stopped visiting his mother. The grandmother died in February this year.
Rowe’s name was mentioned a third time on Sunday when heavily armed ranks converged in the East Ruimveldt, Front Road area releasing a barrage of gunfire during which two persons were wounded. According to the police, ranks acting on information confronted the wanted man and five other men who were on the roadway. The Force said that on seeing the police Rowe and two of the men began running, one of whom opened fire on the police. Ranks returned fire and 17-year-old Osafie Johnson was shot in the upper left shoulder and left foot. The teen this newspaper has since observed was shot in the back. A 9mm Beretta pistol with three matching rounds was reportedly found in his possession and two men from the group were arrested while the others including Rowe escaped, the police said.
The Force further said that Dexter Bentick who was in the vicinity at the time of the exchange sustained a graze to his abdomen.
Condition still serious
Johnson remains a patient of the Georgetown Hospital and his condition is listed as serious. His mother told this newspaper last evening that the bullet is still lodged in his chest. She said that his condition has improved from the previous day and he was still receiving oxygen and saline.
On Monday the teen had told this newspaper from his hospital bed that the policeman who shot him had recently arrested him and knew who he was. Johnson had been arrested sometime last week during a search for ‘Cobra’ in his area. According to him, he is no criminal and had done nothing wrong. He had stressed to this newspaper that he did not know who the wanted man was or his whereabouts adding that he first heard the name mentioned on television.
One resident had recalled seeing a group of ranks running and shooting at the teen as he tried to run to his home. The resident stressed that the teen had nothing in his hand as he was running.
Johnson remains under police guard.
Meanwhile, Bentick when contacted yesterday said that he was feeling much better but has to keep changing the bandage on his abdomen. He said that he visited the Brickdam Police Station like he was requested to do and the police took a detailed statement on what transpired that day.
After this was done, he added, the police told him that they will give him a call later.
Bentick, a national footballer has maintained that he was deliberately shot by a plain clothes policeman as he walked along the Front Road en route to a nearby shop. While speaking with this newspaper on Monday, he identified the rank who shot him by name.
