Commissioner of Police (acting), Leroy Brumell, has promised the family of 17-year-old Shaquille Grant who was shot and killed by police earlier this week than an intense investigation will be undertaken.
Stating that what happened was unfortunate, Brumell said, “I want to express condolences to everybody. The family first and everybody in Agricola… Probably the young man, probably he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. But I can promise… we will conduct an intense investigation.”
Brumell was speaking to persons who had gone to protest in front of Police Headquarters, Eve Leary yesterday.
Grant, of Lot 72 ‘BB’ Eccles, East Bank Demerara was fatally shot some time after 11 am on Tuesday at Third Street, Agricola. Romel Bollers, 19, was also shot and injured. The police force has said that ranks opened fire after they were first fired upon and that a gun was later recovered.
Brumell yesterday said that in addition to the usual police investigation, another investigation has been launched by the Office for Professional Responsibility (OPR).
“That’s the internal affairs section of the force that investigates complaints and reports made against police ranks and I know that the investigation that they do is be very delicate and I can assure you that wherever the investigation leads that’s where I’m going to go. If the policemen did do wrong… they got to face the consequence and visa versa,” the acting commissioner told the protestors.
He urged persons to come forward and make statements if they are aware of anything that will be useful in the investigation. If not to the police, “then talk to the [OPR]. I know how people feel about the police. All of us are not the same. They have some bad ones and they have plenty good ones.”
When asked whether the police implicated are still on duty, Brumell said they have been restricted to desk work. “They are still on duty. We can give them desk duty for now until we get information. Take them off the road until we see where the investigation going, then take other steps,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is encouraging police authorities to make an example of the officers responsible for Grant’s death by laying the appropriate charges, if only to maintain some form of credibility.
“The best that can be said for the police is that they were entirely responsible for the death by their incompetence,” the GHRA said in a statement. “The worst that can be said is that this was a cold-blooded, extra-judicial execution by ill-trained bullies who have no place in a uniform, out to teach a group of youths a lesson.”
It was also suggested that the arrangement of carrying live rounds, regardless of competence and training, should be changed immediately. The GHRA believes that the use of live ammunition should be banned except in the cases when it is used by specially trained units under the effective control of competent officers for specific operations.
It was pointed out that incidents such as these support the perception of the Guyana Police Force as “an armed gang descending on communities to cause chaos”.
“Until a majority of senior politicians on all sides of Parliament are committed to the root-and-branch reform of the GPF away from its militia origins to a modern police service, incidents such as this which outrage the sensibilities of the community will continue to recur,” the release ended.
Calling for similar action to be taken, the Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) said there is need for an effective reform beyond the procurement of resources for department and divisional work.
“YCT believes the time is opportune for the evaluation of officers in the Guyana Police Force to rid it of rogue elements that defiles its image and compromise national security,” the group said.
The call for the resignation of Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, was reiterated and the YCT affirmed that there is a loss of confidence in his service.
“It is ironic that young Shaquille Grant [was] a graduate of the Citizens Security Program under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs where he was presented with his certificate by Minister Rohee whose ministry has oversight of the Guyana Police Force. It was officers of the Guyana Police Force that killed Shaquille Grant,” the release stated.
A statement from the APNU indicated that Attorney at Law James Bond, as of September 11, was tasked with providing legal services for the four youths who were in the company of Grant at the time of the shooting and who have since been incarcerated. Bond has since visited the men at the Brickdam Police station and interviewed them.
The attorney was said to have also made efforts with Senior Superintendent Ramsay, the Officer in Charge of Crime for ‘A’ Division, for bail to be allowed but was told that an identification parade will first have to be conducted, where after the question of bail will be addressed.
“The PNCR will be the party of human rights is the vision espoused by Leader of the PNCR Brigadier Ret’d David Granger and the people of Guyana like the village of Agricola have had their basic rights to life, freedom of assembly and association trampled upon and run roughshod over by the [PPP/C] regime and the Guyana Police Force. It is therefore not surprising that the PNCR has committed its legal officers to assist the victims of this attest instance of police brutality in every which way as in the case with Linden,” the statement said.
