Two months after the South Road shooting that left three men dead, police are still conducting investigations and one of the fathers of the dead men said that while his son was “not innocent”, he did not deserve to die the way he did.
Cousins Jermaine Canterbury, 21, and Mark Anthony Joseph, called ‘Two Grand’, 19, and Romario Gouveia, 19, all residents of Albouystown, were shot on October 12 during what police said was a shootout near the K&VC Hotel. The cousins died soon after the shooting while Gouveia,
who had a gunshot wound to the jaw, died suddenly two days later.
Police have since said that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) have launched investigations.
Joseph’s father who spoke with Stabroek News recently said he acknowledges that his son was not innocent but that he did not deserve to die like that.
“If they had shot him one time and the bullet killed him I would have accepted that. But is not one bullet, is not two, is not three, but four bullets. What did he do for them to execute him like that? Not saying that my son was innocent. I begged him not to trouble anything for anybody. He wasn’t a type of person like that; is the company that he followed. Always spoke to him about the company that he followed,” he said.
The man said that based on information he received, his son and the two others were made to lie down on the ground by the police after which they were shot. “I heard that one of the police take he foot and put on my son face and shot him. They put them to lie down and shoot them. He get one bullet behind he neck. One in he left side rib another in he right side and one in he chest. Four bullets…
“At the time the police were assuming that they were going to rob the hotel. I heard that they told him to go down on his knees and he took out his phone and had his two hands in the air and holler ‘don’t shoot I beggin’ y’all all I have is my phone’,” he said.
According to the man, he will not rest until he gets justice for his son. “As a father I am calling on the president, commissioner, crime chief and opposition to think about it as a father; to put yourself in my shoes and think about the situation. I am asking for justice and for someone to tell me about my son’s execution. I am just getting the royal run around. I think I deserve some kind of justice. Calling on Guyanese people for any assistance in any way. My situation could happen to anyone. I will not accept it like that. That my son get shoot down and nobody is telling me anything. Who feels it knows it,” the man said.
“I went to the crime chief and the head of the CID and they asked me to bring forth a witness but no one wants to come forward, a lot of people see but they are scared to talk. Persaud said it was under investigation. Went back twice and never got the chance to see him,” he added.
Joseph was released from prison on January 22, 2013, on bail in the sum of $150,000, after being charged with robbery under arms committed on Andrew Yaw in December 2012. He also reportedly snatched a firearm from Police Constable Alan Yaw and tried to escape. He was reportedly shot in the process.
