Five ranks attached to the Special Branch of the Guyana Police Force have been placed under close arrest for opening fire on a police sergeant on Monday night at Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.
The GPF, in a statement on Saturday, said the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating a shooting incident involving a police sergeant attached to the Providence Station.
According to reports, at about 22:10h on Monday, a sergeant, a corporal, a lance corporal and two constables of the Special Branch were assisting Region Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara)ranks to investigate a robbery/murder, and were looking for a dark-coloured Toyota Rumion car that the suspects had used as a getaway vehicle when they saw a dark-coloured Toyota Rumion and opened fire in the air as they ordered the driver to stop, not realizing that it was a police sergeant who was driving home from work.
According to investigators, that sergeant, who was unaware that he was being stopped by Special Branch operatives, became terrified and drove to the Providence Police Station, where he related what had occurred. Shortly afterwards, the Special Branch ranks arrived at the Providence Station and were placed under close arrest, their firearms being seized, Police said in a statement on Saturday.
Crime scene technicians have processed the scene of the shooting, and have recovered several spent shells.
The robbery/murder which the ranks were assisting Regional Division Three ranks to investigate involved security officer Paul Waterman, attached to the Sheriff Security Service, who was fatally shot by bandits during a supermarket invasion on Monday last at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.
According to Police, that incident occurred at about 15:00h on Monday at the People Supermarket, located at Lot F New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop. Reports are that three men, two of whom were armed with handguns, entered the supermarket and held Waterman, supermarket proprietor Ping Xian Lin, and his wife Li Yan Ohen, at gunpoint.
Waterman was armed with a .32 Taurus pistol with 10 matching rounds of ammunition, and during the robbery, a scuffle ensued between Waterman and one of the suspects, who discharged a round that hit Waterman and caused him to fall to the ground. Waterman was then relieved of his firearm and cellphone, and the suspects proceeded to rob the supermarket before making good their escape by running north through Evergreen Street towards Best Village.
They escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash, a quantity of Digicel and GTT phone cards, one cellphone and one DVR, while Waterman was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. (G9)
