A constable attached to the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) on Tuesday provided an account of the police raid that resulted in the 2021 fatal shooting of Dartmouth businessman, Orin Boston. His testimony came as the manslaughter trial of fellow officer Constable Sherwin Peters continued before the Essequibo High Court.
Constable Adrian Moore, a former member of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit, took the stand as the prosecution, led by State Counsel Latifah Elliot, continued to present its case against Peters, who is facing trial without legal representation.
Dead: Orin Boston
Moore told the court that on September 14, 2021, he and roughly ten other ranks from the SWAT Unit were instructed by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gordon to travel to the Essequibo Coast for an anti-crime operation. He said all officers were armed, and he was personally issued an AR-15 assault rifle equipped with a torchlight, along with a Glock pistol.
The team, he recalled, departed Police Headquarters at Eve Leary and journeyed to Parika, then on to Supenaam before reaching the GPF’s Training School in Suddie. Upon arrival, Moore said they were told to stay “battle prepped” until further instructions were given. He noted that the following day, the officers were informed that raids would be conducted at several locations and were reminded of their operational guidelines.
Charged: Sherwin Peters
“We were told of the firing orders, that you can only fire if you’re in serious danger and unable to defend yourself by any other means,” Moore testified.
At around 04:00h on September 15, 2021, the unit arrived at a Dartmouth property on the Essequibo Coast that housed two residences within one yard. The team was divided into two groups, Alpha and Bravo. Moore, assigned to Alpha alongside Peters, said they were ordered to breach the premises and carry out searches.
“I used a ram to breach the first door. After the door was breached, the team flooded the house where several females were. Nothing was found, so we moved to the second house,” Moore said.
Inside the second building, Moore testified that he and Constable Lewis entered the first room and found two children.
“I shouted ‘Police! Police! Get on the ground!’ I then instructed the children to go outside,” he recounted.
What followed next was a sudden loud sound that rang out inside the home.
“I went to the second room and saw a male of African descent. He was big built and had what appeared to be blood coming from his shoulders. His upper body was on the bed, and his legs were on the ground,” Moore described.
He said at that point, Constables Peters and Millington, along with Lance Corporal Grenville, were already in the room with the wounded man. “Peters was trying to assist him,” Moore added.
Boston, 29, was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital shortly after. Moore recalled that after returning to the police training school, they were informed that Boston had succumbed to his injuries.
During his testimony, Moore stressed that Peters was among the officers who rendered assistance to the injured man and clarified that Boston was not harmed during transportation for medical care.
The GPF had previously stated that the SWAT team had gone to Boston’s residence in the early morning hours to execute a search when a “confrontation” allegedly occurred between Boston and the ranks, an account that Boston’s wife has publicly disputed. Peters was later charged with manslaughter and released on $1 million bail.
