Cop remanded on murder charge for Ronaldo Peters shooting

The police sergeant accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Linden resident, Ronaldo Peters, was on Friday remanded to prison after he appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The officer, identified as 45-year-old Sergeant Philbert Kendall, and stationed at the Wismar Police Station, was not required to plead to the indictable charge of murder.
The charge stems from the fatal shooting of Peters on the evening of April 7 in the One Mile area, Wismar, Linden. According to the prosecution, the officer, who was on duty at the time, was informed that Peters was wanted by the police and had been seen at a place called Shabba Bar.

Upon receiving the information, the sergeant reportedly armed himself with a 9mm service pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition, before leaving the Wismar Police Station in a privately owned minibus in the company of ranks.
Once at the scene, it is alleged Peters was seen bracing on a motorcycle, and when he saw the officers, he reportedly jumped over a gate. The prosecution further stated that based on their facts, the sergeant exited the front passenger seat of the vehicle, pointed the firearm at Peters, and discharged a round, hitting him in the waist.
However, instead of transporting the injured man directly to the hospital for medical attention, the officer reportedly took him back to the Wismar Police Station. It was later that Peters was taken for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries while receiving care at the Linden Hospital Complex.
The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) launched a probe into the incident and subsequently recommended charges be laid against the officer. The Regional Security System (RSS), which was brought in to assist with investigations, also conducted an independent inquiry.
In court, the officer was represented by Attorney-at-Law Patrice Henry, who indicated that the defence was “shocked” by the murder charge. He requested that disclosure be made at an earlier date and raised concerns about the limited video footage available to the defence. Henry stated that only a short clip showing part of the incident had been seen and insisted that the police provide all video evidence that exists.

The prosecution told the court that the case file was still incomplete and needed to be returned for finalisation before full disclosure could be made. Henry also informed the court that his client is a father of seven children and has served the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for 26 years, with a previously unblemished record.
After hearing both sides, Magistrate Azore remanded Kendall to prison until May 9.
Meanwhile, the GPF has maintained that Peters was a wanted man at the time of his death. The police initially claimed that during efforts to restrain him, the officer’s firearm accidentally discharged. However, the details emerging in court allege that the weapon was deliberately pointed and fired at Peters.
The matter sparked public outrage, with hundreds of Lindeners taking to the streets in protest. Then, in an unfortunate turn of events, just before midday on Tuesday, tensions quickly escalated between police and protestors, which resulted in the death of Keon Fogenay, commonly known as “Dan”.
According to a statement from the GPF, police discharged rounds at the crowd to mitigate the situation where they were burning tires and destroying Government infrastructure. As the police engaged to protesters, they were greeted with missiles. The rounds discharged at the protesters caused the demise of a protester.