Police still questioning rank linked to Turpin killing

According to a senior police officer the rank who is attached to `D’ Division (West Demerara) remains in police custody and is being detained at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

This newspaper was also told that the rank’s service weaponhas been confiscated and police are in the process of determining if it was used in the incident.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud had told this newspaper last Friday that the rank turned himself in at the Leonora Police Station. He said that the rank is being treated as a suspect in the fatal shooting and that a senior police officer and his wife, who were at the location when the incident occurred, are still assisting with the investigations.

Police had said in a statement that Turpin, of Lot 25 Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara, was shot in the head around 3.30am at Cornhill Street, Stabroek where he had gone to buy food. He was later pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital.

According to police, a senior police officer and his wife went to purchase food at the Stabroek Market and there was an altercation involving females near the food stall.

It is alleged that during that altercation, a man chucked one of the females and the deceased went to make peace, during which he was allegedly shot in the head by the man who also placed a gun to the head of one of the females.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital.

Turpin, 54, was the co founder of the Infinity Rehabilitation Centre, which is a halfway house for substance abusers. He opened the doors to the centre, which was located at his home, last November.

A post mortem examination last Friday determined that the man sustained a single gunshot wound to the head.