Bandits shoot guard, grab cash and guns

A security guard attached to RK’s Security Services was shot and robbed on Monday evening, when he and a colleague were ambushed while attempting to make a deposit at the Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara branch of Demerara Bank.

The attack, which occurred around 8pm, left Damion Pearce, 24, shot to the left foot, while his colleague, Cleveland Pyle, 22, escaped unharmed.

Apart from an undisclosed amount of cash, the lone gunman also made good his escape with the two .32 revolvers and several rounds that were in the possession of the guards. He fled in a waiting car that was driven by an accomplice.

Contacted for a comment, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said investigators managed to obtain CCTV footage, which was being reviewed up to late yesterday afternoon.

The Guyana Police Force, in a press release, said the security guards were making a night deposit when they were attacked by a man who was armed with a firearm. “The perpetrator shot Pearce and relieved him of the night deposit bag which contained an undisclosed amount of cash that had been collected from business places and two .32 revolvers with 10 rounds and escaped in a motor vehicle driven by an accomplice,” the police said.

Stabroek News understands that the security guards usually pick up deposits from various business entities and before the attack they had done the same at three different business entities located at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

The money was placed in a haversack, which was snatched.

Stabroek News was told that after uplifting the money, the guards visited a separate location on their way to the bank, where they uplifted two firearms from security guards who were about to end their shifts.

The attack lasted for less than five minutes.

When Stabroek News visited the bank yesterday, it was in full operation. However, officials refused to comment, while noting that the matter is being investigated by the police.

Efforts to contact RK’s CEO Roshan Khan also proved futile.

Another guard attached to the service had been wounded last October, during a robbery at East and Middle streets by two men on a CG motorcycle. The guards had just collected money from Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital when the robbery occurred. RK’s had offered a $1 million reward to anyone offering information that would assist in the arrest of the perpetrators.