La Grange Station shooting
A post-mortem examination conducted on the body of the 20-year-old Police Constable who shot his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself, has revealed that the young man was shot twice.
“(He had) two gunshot wounds – one on the chin and another on the left side head,” Divisional Commander ACP Leslie James told reporters on Friday. The post-mortem was done earlier in the day and the pathologist found that he died from haemorrhage and shock due to gunshot wounds.
This revelation has given substance to concerns initially raised by the relatives of Constable Clement Cockfield. The morning after the incident, the young man’s father indicated that the story they were told of what transpired does not add up.
“(The Police) telling me that my son shot the girl, then shot himself; he get up back again and come towards the vehicle that they were trying to put the girl in and some officer go fuh hold he and he shot himself again…but I’m saying if a man shot himself in the head, how can he get up back and shot himself again. I feel something of the sort ain’t right because, honestly, it is really hard to believe this,” the distraught father had stated.
Initially, the Police had reported that Cockfield shot himself once in the head, after shooting and injuring his girlfriend, Constable Shanice Fraser. She was shot four times to her upper body.
The incident occurred at about 20:30h at the La Grange Police Station, West Bank Demerara, where the two Constables were both stationed.
According to Police reports, the couple worked different shifts and on the Tuesday night, Cockfield reported for anti-crime patrol duty and uplifted a .38 service revolver with six rounds, while his girlfriend, Constable Shanice Fraser had just completed a tour of duty.
At about 20:30h, the couple was seen on the stairway of the station when gunshots were subsequently heard. The Police reported that Fraser ran down stairs into the yard and was seen bleeding profusely. She was assisted by other ranks on duty when Cockfield pursued her and discharged more shots at her.
She attempted to escape the enraged man but collapsed in the station’s compound. The Police claimed that the other ranks pleaded with Cockfield to stand down but instead he turned the gun on himself.
The couple was picked up and rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where Cockfield was pronounced dead on arrival. His injured 21-year-old girlfriend was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where she is in a stable condition.
Commander James told Guyana Times that as part of ongoing investigations, statements have been obtained from the ranks that were on duty on the night of the shooting.
When probed further, he disclosed that the ranks were also swabbed for gunpowder residue and the samples have been sent to be analysed. The swabbing, the Commander added, was done by specialists from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary.
“So you see nothing is being hidden, everything is being done above board and the matter is being fully investigated,” the Commander .assured.
When asked about the Force’s policy regarding workplace relationships, ACP James explained that it is not allowed. He explained that whenever it is known that ranks at the same location are in a relationship, then they would be separated.
“They would not be allowed to work continuously at the same station… I was unaware of such happening (at La Grange Station),” the Commander stated.
