Updated: Shots fired as police confront robbers at Enmore

-one man held

One man is now in police custody while five others are on the run following an exchange of gunfire yesterday with Police at Enmore, East Coast Demerara.

Stabroek News was told that the incident involving the group of men and the police occurred at around 5 pm yesterday  following reports by residents of a suspicious vehicle patrolling the neigbourhood.

It was some time after the ranks arrived that the exchange of gunfire between the ranks and the men, who were at the time occupants of a red Toyota Raum, occurred.

It was later learnt that the men had  robbed a house in the area belonging to the owners of a popular supermarket located on the Enmore Public Road of an undisclosed sum of cash and other items.

However, when Stabroek News visited the home owners last evening, several persons had gathered at the house, while the family themselves declined to comment on the incident.

The unidentified bandit was said to have been taken into custody while the other occupants of the vehicle managed to escape. The vehicle which the men used in the robbery has since been impounded at the Cove and John Police Station as Police continue to investigate the incident.

Police today issued the following press release on the incident.

Swift action by ranks of the Guyana Police Force yesterday afternoon led to the recovery of a stolen motor car, an unlicensed handgun with (12) rounds of ammunition and the apprehension of one of four suspected bandits who had robbed a grocer at LogWood, Enmore, E.C.D.

Investigations revealed that about1545h. yesterday, the grocer was in his home when he was confronted by four masked men, all armed with firearms, who assaulted him and demanded cash and jewellery.

The men then carted off a quantity of valuables inclusive of a licensed handgun with (15) rounds of ammunition and made good their escape from the premises; they then hijacked a motor car and proceeded in the vicinity of Bare Root.

They were then observed by ranks of two police patrols acting in a suspicious manner and upon realizing that they had attracted the attention of the police, they opened fire on the patrols, abandoned the motor car and fled to the backlands of Bare Root. They were pursued and one suspect was arrested with an unlicensed pistol and twelve (12) matching rounds, whilst the remainders are still at large.

A number of live rounds and spent shells were also found in the stolen motor car which was taken into custody of the police.

The suspect is assisting with the investigation.