A 25-year-old resident of Sophia is currently in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after he was shot on Saturday afternoon, allegedly by a policeman who was attempting to arrest him.
Patrick Goodluck of North Sophia was shot once in his back during the incident, which occurred at around 5 pm at Pike Street, Sophia.
He has since done two surgeries to remove the bullet, which was lodged in his spine.
Goodluck was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the GPH. His condition is listed as critical.
Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Police Force, Jairam Ramlakhan, yesterday confirmed that the matter is being investigated by ranks of ‘C’ Division.
While the details surrounding the incident remain sketchy, Stabroek News was reliably informed that a police constable pursued Goodluck in a bid to arrest him in relation to two recent armed robberies. As he attempted to escape, Goodluck was shot. His accomplice managed to escape.
A police source indicated to this newspaper that Goodluck was linked to the crimes, which occurred earlier this month along the East Coast seawall.
He is accused of robbing an ExxonMobil employee and a senior diplomat on separate occasions while they were jogging during the early morning hours.
Information reaching this newspaper revealed that Goodluck was positively identified in one of the matters.
He was reportedly spotted in the vicinity on Saturday and the police were contacted and summoned to the scene.
Goodluck was pursued during which he allegedly attempted to escape in a nearby trench and was shot.
His sister, Nakacie Goodluck, yesterday related to Stabroek News that he was wrongfully shot by the police.
“My brother was wrongfully shot. He ain’t do nothing,” Nakacie said.
She said that doctors have since informed the family that Patrick might not be able to walk again.
However, she said, they are in the process of securing the necessary funds for some extra tests to be done.
Nakacie recounted that on the afternoon of the incident, she was standing in front of her yard talking to a cousin when they heard the sound of what appeared to be a gunshot.
“I went by the pipe stand up fulling water. Me and my cousin was standing. We hear a first gunshot. So she ask if is not a gunshot and I said yes,” Nakacie said.
She added that a short while after, they heard a second gunshot followed by the screams of a male and female. “We hear a male and a female holler so I ain’t take it fah nothing. I head back to my house. I pick up meh bucket wata and I walking back to my house and while standing by the step, me cousin holler fah me. When she holler fah me, well I done had a feeling was my bruddah,” Nakacie stated.
She said she immediately rushed outside to enquire what was happening.
“When I run out to the street, one person seh ‘yuh bruddah just get shot’ while some other saying ‘look, the police gone with yuh bruddah, so he alive’,” Nakacie related.
She said to date, the police have not provided the family with a reason as to why her brother was shot. “They can’t give account wah they shoot me bruddah fah,” Nakacie said.
“The police that shoot my brother, he said it was an accident but when I asked them wah he get charge fah, they seh nothing,” she added.
She further explained that when she spoke with Patrick, he told her that the police called out to him and he responded and was riding away when he was shot.
“First thing my brother tell me, he see them (police) right, he see them and they stop and holler ‘aye Patrick’, cause they know he by going to court and he seh ‘bai y’all don’t call me. Me and y’all is nah no friend, y’all don’t call me’ and he ride and come way. So probably they trace he. But they shoot he fah nothing,” she insisted.
Nakacie said she met with Divisional Commander Calvin Brutus yesterday who assured her that the matter is being investigated by the police’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
Goodluck is known to the police. Stabroek News understands that he has two pending matters: robbery under arms and trafficking in persons, before the courts.
