With Dartmouth tense and protesters still on the main road, the police yesterday again vowed that there will be an “impartial and professional” probe of the killing of businessman Orin Boston who was shot once by a cop early Wed-nesday morning.
Boston sustained a single gunshot wound, an autopsy confirmed yesterday. Stabroek News was reliably informed that the autopsy revealed that Boston died as a result of haemorrhage and shock due to gunshot injuries to the chest. The autopsy was performed by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh.
Up to last night, the police had not released the findings of Boston’s autopsy. Sources told Stabroek News that a single warhead was extracted from Boston’s body. According to the sources, Boston was shot once but the bullet travelled to other parts of his body causing injuries to several organs including his lungs.
Boston, 29, of Hoppie Street, Dartmouth, Esse-quibo Coast was shot in an anti-crime operation triggering protests on Wednes-day morning during which residents blocked the main road, burnt objects and demanded justice.
Yesterday, residents remained mobilised and continued their protests. The deceased’s wife, Feona Boston said that the family has at no time encouraged residents to block the road.
“The residents feel that my husband was wrongfully killed and this could have happened to anyone so they all supporting calls for justice,” the widow said.
As it is no one can pass the Dartmouth bridge to enter the Charity area as burning obstacles have been placed there. Earlier in the day, a family was forced to carry a corpse across the bridge after the vehicle could not pass.
The business community has been seriously affected. Chairman of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce Aadil Baksh asserted that the current vandalism of the roadway and the blocking of the traffic must be swiftly resolved so that residents can enjoy the freedom of using the public road.
“We believe that the protestors’ refusal to deny our fellow Essequibians access to goods and services will result in harm to the most vulnerable among us, especially the residents and the business communities that depend on produce and essential services”, Baksh said.
The police in a statement on Wednesday had said that ranks were conducting an anti-crime operation in Region Two at around 4.40 am Wednesday during which they went to the home of Boston to conduct a search.
During the search, the police said that there was a “confrontation” between Boston and the police resulting in him being shot. Boston’s widow, Feona had told reporters on Wednesday that the police kicked down their back door, went into their bedroom and shot the businessman.
“My husband had showered and retired to bed. He did not even have on clothes when they went into the room, kicked down the door and pointed the gun towards him, they shot his right arm, all I heard is a loud gunshot sound,” the woman said.
She said that ranks were all over the house with guns and her two children, ages 6 and 7, witnessed the entire ordeal.
Details on the shooting of Boston remain sketchy. This includes how many ranks entered the house, what means were used to gain entry to Boston’s house, and whether any of the force’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) were breached.
Authorities have remained silent on the probe. Efforts made by Stabroek News to contact Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn proved futile since calls to his phone went unanswered.
Pressed for answers on Wednesday, Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie told the media that these details will be determined in the investigation.
Boston was shot with a rifle. Hoppie said the policeman who shot Boston is currently under close arrest.
`Thorough, impartial and professional’ investigation
The police investigation is being spearheaded by the police internal affairs body, the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
Deputy Commissioner of Operations (ag) Clifton Hicken disclosed on Wednesday that the SWAT team was dispatched to Region Two on Tuesday. The team, he said consisted of one gazetted officer and eleven ranks. None of the ranks was equipped with a body camera.
Hoppie and Hicken had said that the team was sent to the area based on intelligence received.
According to Hicken, the presence of the SWAT unit was “necessary” during the operation.
Hoppie said that the operation commenced around 2 am on Wednesday in several villages within the region.
Prior to arriving at Boston’s, house, Hoppie told the media that two other homes were searched. He said the purpose of the search at Boston’s house was for ‘prohibited items’.
Nothing was found, Hoppie confirmed. However, he noted that four persons including two murder suspects were arrested at Onderneeming.
Barrage
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, attorneys at law Nigel Hughes and Konyo Sandiford on behalf of Boston family listed a barrage of investigative steps they expected the police to take.
The lawyers outlined a number of basic aspects of an investigation which the family expected would be conducted. This includes the dusting of the hands of the ranks on duty for gunpowder residue, what were the police exactly looking for when they attended the home of Boston, what were the standard operating procedures deployed when they entered the bedroom of Boston without a warrant and the trajectory of the bullet and the points of entry and exit of the bullet which killed Boston.
“The immediate adoption of a hostile position by the Guyana Police Force by attributing to Mr. Boston acts of aggression which are contradicted by both the eyewitnesses and the independent evidence discloses patent defensiveness and desire to conceal the true sequence of events,” the statement by the lawyers said.
“This rush to judgement by the Guyana Police Force immediately discloses the inherent biases and predisposition which would render an independent investigation almost impossible”, the lawyers added.
The lawyers stated that Boston’s family is demanding an independent investigation into his killing by independent professional investigators with the appropriate contemporary forensic equipment and training.
Responding to the statement yesterday morning, the GPF assured that it will be conducting a thorough, impartial and professional investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death Boston.
“…The Guyana Police Force is refuting the premature and irresponsible allegation made that this was an act of murder, and that there have been a `rush to judgement’ and `the immediate adoption of a hostile position’ by the Police Force in view of the Police Press Statement issued,” the police said.
“The Guyana Police Force is assuring the relatives of Orin Boston and the general public, that the Police Force has no desire to “conceal the true sequence of events” as stated in the family’s lawyers’ statement, but on the contrary will be conducting a thorough, impartial and professional investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Orin Boston,” the statement added.
According to the police, the statement released on Wednesday in relation to the incident came following a debriefing of the ranks who were involved in the anti-crime operation.
“The Commissioner of Police (ag) Mr. Nigel Hoppie, however, clearly stated during his press conference Wednesday afternoon that the wife of the deceased has contradicted the unfolding of events as carried by the police and this will form part of the investigation being conducted into the matter by the Police Office of Professional Responsibility,” the statement said.
The police said the issues of concerns which were raised by the lawyers will be dealt with during the investigation.
“However, some aspects have already been discussed with relatives. Blood samples have also been uplifted at the scene and the bloodied bed sheet taken into custody by police crime scene ranks,” the statement said.
