Ex-police officer Dennis Andrews has been discharged over the killing of Melanie Damishana labourer Charles Peters, who was shot on July 25th, 2017.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry discharged Andrews two weeks ago following the conclusion of a voir dire in which his attorney Dexter Todd made a submission that he had no case to answer.
Todd argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a case against his client.
Following the voir dire, the Judge formally directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.
Background
Peters, 36, a father of two of Lot 184 Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, was fatally shot by the police who had said that he was observed running on the road and acting in a suspicious manner.
As a result, he was stopped and challenged and it was being alleged that he attacked a police rank, resulting in him being shot.
Following the shooting, the man’s niece, Onica (only name given), had said that the family heard different versions of what the police said transpired on the day Peters was shot. “The amount of times they say they shoot he is totally different from what we saw when we see the body,” she had said.
“We are going to go far because we need justice. The matter is not over, it’s not going to go down like that,” she vowed.
The woman had also said that the post-mortem examination revealed that her uncle died as a result of multiple injuries. She said based on what they were told, he was also beaten during the encounter.
Meanwhile Natasha Caesar, another niece, had told Stabroek News that while she was not present when the shooting occurred, residents in the area had told her that Peters surrendered after being pursued by the police but he was still shot.
“I hear he surrender and when they did patting he down, he keep telling them he is not a thief and they shot him to his leg. They say he jump in a trench and then the police shoot he again to his arm,” she had said.
“I wasn’t there but I hear when they go after he, people in the area telling them not to shoot he, they know he from around the area, but they still shoot he,” the woman added.
