3 cops to be charged for Quindon Bacchus’s death

…as PCA leaves final decision on offences with DPP

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA), having concluded its investigation into the fatal shooting of Quindon Bacchus, which occurred on June 10, has recommended that three Police officers be charged.

According to a statement from the PCA Chairman, Retired Justice William Ramlall, the statutory required reporting of the results of the investigation to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, has also been completed. He noted, however, that it is the DPP who will determine the nature of the charges.
“The Police Complaints Authority wishes to advise that the investigation into the fatal shooting of Quindon Bacchus is completed. The statutory report to the Director of Public Prosecutions has also been completed. The copies of this report to the official designated by statute will be sent today (Sunday).”
“I recommended to the Director of Public Prosecutions that three (3) members of the Police Force are to be charged. It is for the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine who is to be charged and what offences he/she/they is/ are to be charged for,” Justice Ramlall said.

Healing must start
During a visit to Golden Grove where he took part in a memorial service for Bacchus, Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips had called for the healing to start and had further assured the family that justice would be served.
“We need justice. We need closure for the family. We at the level of the Government, we respect the rule of law. We respect the rule of law and we have to await the conclusion of the investigation being done by the Police Complaints Authority,” Phillips said.

“As I’m here to sympathise with Quindon Bacchus’s mother and father, I’m also ready to listen to all the people here. All the concerns that you have and this engagement that I’m having with you today is just the beginning,” the Prime Minister had further said.
During his walkabout, the Prime Minister visited the church, small business owners along the roadway and the Golden Grove/Nabaclis/Haslington Community Centre and listened to the concerns of the residents.
Following recommendations from the residents, the Prime Minister also promised to bring in counsellors and social workers, while he said he would speak to the Police Commissioner (ag), Clifton Hicken to follow up on the reports of damaged stalls and equipment.

Shooting
Bacchus, a father of one of Golden Grove, ECD, was allegedly shot six times about his body following an encounter with Police ranks. It was reported that on June 10, ranks were conducting an intelligence-led operation in the Haslington New Scheme area of the ECD after receiving some information earlier in the day. While there, the ranks said, they contacted a 22-year-old construction worker, who provided them with certain information.

As a result of the information, the ranks went to Bacchus’ home, where he was seen with a firearm in his possession. He had reportedly intended to sell it to one of the ranks. The plainclothes rank, who was armed, made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus, who left and returned with the firearm.
In the process of handing over the firearm to the rank, an alarm was raised. As a result, Bacchus ran in a southern direction and discharged a round in the rank’s direction, and the rank drew his service pistol and returned fire.
Police said Bacchus then ran further south and jumped into a yard, and the rank gave chase. While the rank was in close proximity to Bacchus, the man allegedly discharged several other rounds towards the rank, and the rank took cover and returned fire, hitting the now-deceased man about his body.
Bacchus reportedly fell to the ground, along with the firearm, which was later identified as a .380 pistol with a magazine that still had one round. Police said Bacchus was picked up in a conscious state and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was seen and examined, but subsequently died.

Violent protest
On June 28, what was intended to be a call for justice for Bacchus escalated into terror along the East Coast Demerara (ECD) corridor thus leading to several vendors at the Mon Repos Market being robbed while their stalls were vandalised and goods looted.
Armed with cutlasses, knives, iron bars, and other handy weapons, looters stormed the Mon Repos Market just after 10:00h.
Claiming that they were avenging the shooting death of Bacchus, the looters proceeded to destroy goods, burn stalls and vehicles, shatter windscreens of vehicles, and even assault vendors who were forced to run into the adjoining streets in fear for their lives.
After the looters made off with the fruits, vegetables, clothing, shoes, and other articles which were being sold in the makeshift market; vendors were left counting their losses, which could be amounted to millions of dollars. (G3)