Presidential guard found unconscious dies

…Granger calls for inquiry

A 32-year old Police constable, who was attached to the Presidential Guard Service, on Wednesday morning died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Winston Cooper was picked up in an unconscious state on July 1 at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, but succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
Acting Crime Chief Michael Kingston confirmed the death of the guard during an interview with this publication. Kingston explained that a Post-Mortem Examination will be conducted on Friday.
Cooper’s relatives were visited at their Lot 761 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, home by President David Granger, accompanied by Police Commissioner (ag) Nigel Hoppie on Wednesday. The Ministry of the Presidency in a statement said that the President spoke with Cooper’s mother, Loraine Peters, and other family members.
Granger has since called for a “thorough” investigation to be conducted.
“As you know, he’s a member of the Presidential Guard…what I will ask the Commissioner to do is to conduct an inquiry to find out how [this incident] could have happened,” the Head of State said.

The Constable was taken to GPHC at about 05:30h on July 1. This publication was told that the man had been nursing head and other injuries about his body.
Cooper is suspected to be a victim of attempted robbery, since it is more than likely that he was approached by bandits who demanded his valuables and may have been beaten for failing to comply with the request, a source has said.
Cooper’s backpack, which was found near his body, had his Police uniform inside, and sources say his assailants may have fled the scene after realising that he is a cop.
Other reports conversely suggest that the Presidential Guard may have been a victim of a hit-and-run accident.