Dartmouth fatal shooting: Police unable to clear blocked roadway, as makeshift explosives hurled at cops

…persons forced to walk, fetch the dead through debris

By Lakhram Bhagirat

Day two of the standoff between Police and protestors at Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) continued with the law enforcement officers still unable to clear the blocked roadways.
Tension in the relatively quiet community ran high as the residents took to the streets to protest the killing of businessman Orin Boston.

Boston, who operated the “Ease Meh Stress” bar located at Hoppy Street, Dartmouth, was shot and killed by members of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit on Wednesday during an anti-crime operation.
The Police are contending that the man was shot during a confrontation when the rank entered his home at about 04:40h. However, his relatives are disputing the Police’s version of the events.
His wife, Feona Boston, told media operatives that her husband was in his bed when he was shot and killed. After the shooting, the naked body of the 29-year-old father of two was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

However, a search of the premises did not reveal any prohibited or illegal items.
As word of Boston’s death spread in the community, angry friends, relatives and villagers took to the streets. They hauled fallen trees, old tyres and cars to the middle of the main access road and began their fiery protest. They are demanding justice and answers from the Police as to what intelligence they possessed that caused them to enter the dead man’s home.
Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum visited the family on Wednesday and promised to leave no stone unturned as they order an independent probe by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

The SWAT officer who fired the fatal shot has since been placed under close arrest as the investigation continues.
On Thursday, Guyana Times visited the community of Dartmouth, where residents were still engaged in fiery protests and were calling for engagement with the relevant authorities.
Region Two Police Commander Denise Griffith was at the protest, coordinating the Police’s response. She told this publication that they are monitoring the situation, but have been unable to clear the roadway since the residents blocked it on Wednesday morning.

“We have not been able to clear the roadways at any point in the day. At this moment, we are speaking with the citizens and we are urging them to be calm and cooperate. This is an unfortunate incident, and we are assuring them that no stone will be left unturned to have this matter solved. I spoke with the aunt of the deceased, and she has assured me that she will speak to the residents,” Commander Griffith related.
When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, more than 100 protestors were observed at one side of the road while the Police and firefighters stood at the other side. At no point in time, for the almost three hours that this publication was on the picket line, did the Police attempt to have the road cleared of the burning debris.

When asked about the Police’s presence, the Commander related that they are monitoring the situation, and if there is an escalation, they would step in to have the roadway cleared.

Georgetown-based operation
At a press conference on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie indicated that Boston was killed as a result of intelligence gathered for an anti-crime operation. He could not say what the Police were searching for when they entered the home of the bar owner.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told reporters that Boston had never been prosecuted by the Police.
When questioned about the operation, Commander Griffith explained that she could not go into the details of the intelligence, but she did say it came from Georgetown.

“Well, the intelligence came from Georgetown, and based on the information that was received, ranks were given specific instructions and the team was given specific information in terms of what they had to do. “Unfortunately, what is the result allegedly was not part of the instructions. In terms of where the unfortunate incident that led to the death, that is to say, the moment that led to the shot being fired (No such instructions were given),” she said on Thursday during an interview with this publication.
“At the moment, I can say the Police (have) a side, the family has a side, and so we have to investigate,” Commander Griffith added while calling for the protestors to retreat.

Justice
The residents are angry, and say they intend to stay on the road until they are given a comprehensive response to the shooting of their fellow villager. They are angry at the way the Police seemingly dismissed the incident by claiming there was a confrontation.
On Thursday, when Guyana Times spoke with the protestors, they said the Police have acted unsatisfactorily.
“We nah need no Police to come to give we answer…We need justice, because it nah mek sense them send Police, because things will get more bad. We need answers, we need justice,” a protestor said.
This publication was unable to get to the other side of the protest, since the residents began hurling makeshift explosives at the Police and vehicles attempting to breach the debris.
However, they were allowing persons to pass through the debris on foot. It meant that persons coming from the direction of Supenaam and headed to Charity area and vice versa had to disembark their vehicles and get another one to their final destination.

Fetching the dead
During the early hours of the protest, a hearse carrying a dead body had to offload it at one side of the protest, and persons had to fetch it to the other side to a waiting hearse. That was repeated again in the afternoon when the body of 22-year-old Pastor Allan Sandy was heading to the Charity Hospital Morgue.

Pastor Sandy, who hailed from Judge Creek in the Pomeroon River, died after crashing his boat into a tree. His body had to be transported from the Charity Morgue to the Suddie Hospital for a post mortem.
During the later afternoon hours, after speaking with a pastor, the protestors allowed a funeral procession to pass through the debris so that the dead person could be laid to rest.
The protesters are standing their ground as they await their demands to be met.