Shooting of cop: Police seeking DPP’s advice as probe concludes

The investigation into the fatal shooting of Police Sergeant Alex Vaughn earlier this month has concluded, with Police investigators wrapping up their probe.
The case file will be forwarded for legal advice on Wednesday, according to Mark Ramotar, Director of the Guyana Police Force’s Corporate Communications Department.

The file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers for review. Following this, the DPP will provide legal guidance that will determine further course of action in the matter.
Sergeant Vaughn tragically lost his life when he was shot by a fellow officer, a Police Constable, on March 12 in Karrau, Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni).
In its initial statement on the shooting, the Guyana Police Force had announced that a Police Constable had been placed under close arrest after he had “unintentionally” shot the Police Sergeant. The two were part of a Police operation mounted to search for prison escapee Akeem Wong, who had chopped 49-year-old David Gomes and his 75-year-old mother Elizabeth Gomes to death in Saxacalli village, situated along the Essequibo River.
Tragedy struck when the Police Constable, arriving on the scene on a tractor as part of a backup unit, allegedly discharged his firearm “accidentally” upon disembarking, resulting in Vaughn being fatally shot.

Following the shooting incident, a post-mortem examination conducted on the body revealed that Vaughn had sustained three gunshot wounds as follows: a graze to the right side of his abdomen; another graze to his right leg; and a wound made by a bullet that entered his left abdomen and exited through his right buttocks. That was the injury that ultimately claimed his life.

Prison escapee
Under the directive of acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, an investigation into the incident was launched by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), overseen by the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority.
This incident was in the wake of heightened efforts to capture Wong, who had escaped on February 14 from the Mazaruni Prison in Region Seven, where he was serving a 15-year sentence for rape.
Wong, called “Bin Laden”, and another inmate, Gilbert Gill, were under the supervision of a prison officer, performing labour duties in a ‘wood bush’ when Wong requested permission to go defecate, and was granted same by the prison officer.
About five minutes later, a check was made for Wong, and it was discovered that he had gone missing. Law enforcement officials then began hunting for him.

Gruesome
David and Elizabeth Gomes had been chopped to death on March 8 in a gruesome incident that took place at their Saxacalli home. It has been reported that since moving to the city, the family would often return to clean their house and surroundings at Saxacalli. However, their routine visit took a sinister turn when an unexpected visitor arrived at their doorstep.
Wong reportedly approached the Gomes residence seeking food and directions. Police have said that Gomes’s six-year-old son related that about 15:00h on the day in question, the suspect visited their home and requested something to eat, while asking for directions. He was given food, and also took a few drinks with the child’s father.
“The child also stated that he later saw the suspect (arm) himself with a cutlass and (deal) his father several chops about his body. His grandmother (Nellie) went to (her son’s) rescue, and she was also dealt several chops about her body,” the Police release has stated.
The Police have said that after committing the act, the suspect attempted to wash down the blood, but in the process, he heard a boat approaching, and ran into the nearby bushes, making good his escape.
Law enforcement personnel were also told by the child that, during the ordeal, the suspect was chopped by his father. The child, the Police said, took his father’s cellular phone and sent a voice note to one of his father’s friends, who in turn contacted the Police.

Wong shot and killed
After these ordeals, Wong was fatally shot by members of the Joint Services on March 17, at Groete Creek Backdam, Essequibo River.
Police in a missive stated that upon seeing the ranks, the escapee allegedly emerged from some bushes and charged towards them while wielding a cutlass. He was fired upon and fatally wounded.
The body was escorted to Bartica Hospital. At the scene, Police found one cutlass, $4700, three SIM cards, 1 flash drive, and memory card, one pair of scissors, four cigarettes, one flashlight with batteries, one fishing hook, CA$100, one cellular phone, and one lighter. An investigation was later launched.

Items found
Less than a week after Wong’s death, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that investigators probing the deaths of David and his mother, Elizabeth examined items found in Wong’s possession after he was fatally shot.
Detectives discovered that a black Samsung Galaxy phone had a photograph of David Gomes on the display. Further checks revealed multiple videos and images of David, including those of his national identification card and driver’s licence. Two of the three SIM cards found with Wong were registered to David, while the other was registered with a foreign telephone company. (G9)