A police constable was shot numerous times with arrows, chopped in the head and beaten at Monkey Mountain, Region Eight on Wednesday following the arrest of a suspect with a gun and suspected cannabis.
Kevin George, 20, of 241 Freeman Street, East La Penitence was air-dashed to the city yesterday and up to press time last night was receiving medical attention at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud confirmed the incident and said that the policeman was shot with arrows in the head. He explained that the constable was with another policeman, both of them are attached to the Monkey Mountain Police Outpost, but they got separated following the arrest.
A police press release issued last evening said that Constable George and Constable Bailey went to the Siparuni area where they arrested a male Brazilian who had an unlicensed shotgun and a quantity of suspected cannabis sativa.
They were taking the suspect back to the Monkey Mountain Outpost via the Echilebar River, the police press release said; when disaster struck.
Based on the explanations given by Persaud, the river separates the area where the outpost is located from where the arrest was made.
The Crime Chief, who had said that more than one suspect was arrested, told this newspaper that while crossing the river, the suspects began shaking the boat resulting in it capsizing. The police press release also said that the suspect had rocked the boat causing it to capsize.
Persaud said both policemen made it safely to shore but ended up on opposite sides of the river.
He said that based on the information provided, Constable George was attacked and shot at by persons who were on his side of the river. The suspect/s, including the attackers then escaped and according to Persaud a team of policemen has been dispatched to the area to conduct investigations.
Persaud said the wounded policeman was subsequently taken to the medical centre in the area where he was treated before being airlifted to the city.
Meanwhile, George’s mother, Rosie James, told Stabroek News that based on what she was told her son and policeman had arrested four Brazilian men and in the process of taking them to the station, the men caused the boat to turn over.
She said her son recounted to her that when the boat capsized, villagers who were standing on the river bank began shooting arrows in their direction.
The other policeman, she said, managed to reach the opposite bank and fled into the bushes.
The woman said that her son came ashore on the side of the river where the villagers were and they chopped him in the head and also beat him. From all indications, James said, the villagers knew the men who were arrested.
George’s relatives were very upset at the treatment he was receiving at the Georgetown Hospital, where he was taken on arrival in the city.
They told Stabroek News at the hospital yesterday that he had to wait for more than three hours to be attended to and in addition the X ray machine was not functioning. They told this newspaper too that doctors did not see the need for a CT scan to be done but they believed otherwise since George sustained wounds to the head.
His parents openly voiced their frustration at the situation, resulting in an official from the Guyana Police Force’s Public Relations Department arriving to sort out the issue. As a result, George was transferred to the St Joseph Mercy where policemen are covered under a health insurance policy.
When Stabroek News saw George as he was being wheeled to the ambulance to be transferred to the other hospital he appeared very weak. Numerous stitches to his head were evident and his entire body was swollen.
A piece of an arrow remains in his back and his parents are concerned that it may have poison on it and are urging that it be removed immediately.
George was first sent to Monkey Mountain about two years ago after his training was completed.
