Farmer shot twice by Police ranks during arrest

ꟷ victim allegedly threatened cops with cutlass

A 27-year-old farmer of Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), is currently nursing gunshot wounds to his stomach and foot after he allegedly attempted to assault Police ranks with a cutlass while they were responding to a disturbance call.
The injured man has been identified as Ravindra Sugrim.
Reports are that on Thursday afternoon, the man had just returned to his residence after planting cassava at his farm, and was in front of his yard with relatives when he allegedly began hurling insults at his neighbours.
According to a video captured by one of the neighbour’s devices, Sugrim was armed with a cutlass while verbally abusing them. He then ventured to their fence and began shaking the gate while forcefully hitting his cutlass in an attempt to enter their premises.
The police were subsequently called in for assistance and as the ranks arrived at the scene, the man continued his verbal assault; this time directed at the policemen.
As the ranks approached him, they warned him of his conduct and threatened to take him into custody for attempting to evade apprehension.
According to a source, the man rushed towards the police with the cutlass in his hand, which prompted at least one rank to discharge a round in his direction. The man allegedly continued to “fight off the police” and another round was fired.
However, according to Sugrim’s relative, the now injured man, upon seeing the police and realising that they were about to arrest him, questioned the ranks.
“He told them to shoot him with their blank bullets but he didn’t have anything in his hand,” the woman stated.
She alleged that the policemen fired two shots in Sugrim’s direction, which resulted in his two male cousins “throwing” him overboard.
However, the woman also stated that the police continued to shoot at the farmer, hitting his body twice after he climbed out of the trench.
He was subsequently taken to the hospital and was admitted.
Meanwhile, Police Commander of Region Three, Assistant Police Commissioner Simon McBean when contacted by this publication stated that the matter is currently being investigated.