Police in Berbice quell protest over arrest of armed robbery suspect

Quick response by Police officers on the Corentyne Coast in Region Six has averted the development of what could have been an ugly situation as residents attempted to block the road and burn tyres in protest over the detention of an armed robbery suspect.
Concerned family members and friends of this suspect — Rommel Thomas, called “Govo” — took to the streets of Rose Hall Town to demand his release from Police custody.
Thomas was arrested by the Police in connection with a robbery committed on the Jackpot Lounge at Portuguese Quarters in Port Mourant, Corentyne. Reports are that the business place was robbed on Monday evening, and that the gunmen had carted off $5M. According to reports, an employee had gone to clear one of the slot machines, and had removed in excess of $1M in cash. As she was leaving, two men armed with handguns confronted her and pulled out of her hand the bag which had in excess of $5M in cash.
Regional Commander Shivpersaud Bacchus said several persons were arrested in relation to the incident.
He said on Thursday he was informed that residents had gathered tyres and other flammable materials and had assembled to protest the detention of the suspect.
Barbara Harry has said her son was arrested on Monday and was still in custody more than 72 hours later, without being charged. She is alleging that her son was with some friends at an entertainment centre opposite the business place which was allegedly robbed. The mother contended that the protest was organised because, during an identification parade, a Police officer allegedly instructed one of the staff from the business place which was robbed to pick out her son as the one who robbed the Jackpot Gaming Lounge.
According to the Police Commander, the suspect has since been released. He has also said that during his engagement with the organisers of the protest, several issues were raised and addressed. The Police Commander said his ranks successfully negotiated with the residents and got them to come off the streets.
As recent as on February 1, an operation conducted by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) had resulted in the arrest of a man who had in his possession a large quantity of marijuana. That development resulted in several hours of protest action by residents of Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
Persons took to the main road to protest the arrest of the suspect, who is well known in the community. They gathered on the roadway and burnt debris, while a truck driver was pulled from his vehicle and his vehicle was set alight. The driver of a Canter transporting wood was also attacked, and the windshield of his vehicle was damaged by debris thrown at it.
Less than a week later, on February 5, another protest erupted at Hopetown, West Coast Berbice, following an accident that left two persons from the area injured. The driver of the vehicle was badly beaten by residents and his vehicle was set on fire. The main access road was also blocked.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has already warned that persons who engage in this type of behaviour would face the full consequences of the law. In fact, several persons who were involved in the June 2022 unrest at Mon Repos, ECD have already been charged.
Nine persons surrendered after the Guyana Police Force had issued wanted bulletins for 12 males in relation to the Mon Repos incident, which was sparked by protest action against the fatal shooting of ECD resident Quindon Bacchus during a Police sting operation in June last year.
AG Nandlall has reminded that during the unrest, protesters not only blocked the public road and burned debris, but set alight vehicles, robbed commuters as well as persons at the Mon Repos Market, and looted and destroyed stalls and businesses in the market and its surroundings – all of which, he said, was done with impunity.