Dartmouth fatal shooting: Protesters block road again hours after Police cleared it

…authorities continue to monitor situation

By Lakhram Bhagirat

For the third straight day, the main thoroughfare through Dartmouth on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), remains blocked off as protesters continue to call for justice following the shooting to death of businessman Orin Boston.

Boston was shot and killed in his Hoppy Street, Dartmouth home early Wednesday morning by the Guyana Police Force’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit during an “anti-crime” operation. This immediately led to fiery protests in the region on Wednesday morning and continued up to late Friday evening as the Police are unable to get a grasp on the situation.
On Friday morning, the situation was somewhat quelled as irate residents began retreating allowing the Police and regional authorities to clear the roadway. However, the protesters retuned during the midmorning and prevented the authorities from clearing the roadway.

While they lit no fires as they had done during the last two days, the protesters became even more hostile towards the authorities in their pursuit of “justice.” Bottles and other projectiles were being hurled by the protesters in the direction of the Police and Public Works Ministry employees.
During the early afternoon hours on Friday, Regional Police Commander Denise Griffith met with the relative of Boston and residents where an agreement of peace was made. The Police were then assisted by the Public Works Ministry which mobilised a grader and a tractor to the location to clear the debris.
The entire roadway was cleared and traffic began to flow. However, as the sun set, the residents once again turned out in full force to block the road. They reportedly hauled fallen trees, pieces of wood and other debris and completely blocked off the road again, preventing access through the community.
This caused the Police to once again take up position to monitor the situation. Calls to the Commander’s cell phone went unanswered up until late in the evening.

Regional Vice Chairman Humace Oodit told Guyana Times that they are monitoring the situation while at the same time pleading with the residents to clear the roadway and allow for the completion of the Police’s investigation.
“The region would have sent the front end (grader) to help remove the debris from the road that the residents of Dartmouth have used for the burning. So as soon as they have done that, we had the residents putting posts across the road again to stop vehicle from both ends. The situation again need protection from all stakeholders,” he said.
When this publication visited the Dartmouth community late in the afternoon there were in excess of 50 persons already on the road. The men were seen fetching wooden posts and tree bark to create a blockage. Some were also hauling cement blocks in wheelbarrows.
Additionally, some of men were playing football in the middle of the roadway as the numbers continued to climb.
The standoff between the Police and the residents continued until late in the night.
A post-mortem examination conducted on the body of 29-year-old Boston found that he died as a result of haemorrhage and shock due to gunshot injuries to the chest.
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 ordered 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.
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.