Latest update December 21st, 2024 1:52 AM
Taxi driver shot twice fighting off bandits
Police examine Dummett’s car which was left abandoned on Princes Street.
Up to late last night doctors at the Georgetown Hospital were still battling to save the life of 37-year-old taxi driver Shawn Dummett who was shot twice by one of two bandits during what is initially being considered a botched robbery.
Dummett, of 209 Lamaha Gardens, was shot in the chest and abdomen while fighting off the men who it is believed were after the gold jewellery he was wearing at the time.
Dummett is reportedly in the Intensive Care Unit suffering from internal bleeding.
The incident occurred around 14:30 hours on Princes Street, Lodge, and Dummett underwent emergency surgery immediately after arriving at the Georgetown Hospital where he was taken by residents of the Lodge community.
His condition was listed as critical.
Police in a press release stated that Dummett was driving his car PLL 3474 with two other men in the vehicle when he suddenly ran out of the vehicle, while proceeding along Princes Street, in Lodge.
The release stated that Dummett was pursued by the two men who discharged shots at him, hitting him to his chest and abdomen, after which they escaped.
It is not clear if the two men were actually passengers that Dummett had picked up.
A resident of the area where the incident occurred told this newspaper that he heard two gunshots and peered outside to see what was happening.
He said when he looked outside, he saw three men, one of whom was being chased by the other two.
“Dey lickin’ shots. Then one who was doing the chasing pelt a kick at the man dey chasing but he missed and fell down,” the eyewitness said.
He explained that after the bandit fell, Dummett jumped on him and engaged him in a scuffle.
“But the other one stand by with the gun and lickin’ shots all the time,” the eyewitness explained.
According to the eyewitness, from all appearances Dummett had already been shot shortly after fleeing his car.
“He was hit before, because he was actually stumbling whilst running, he wasn’t running freely,” the eyewitness told this newspaper.
He said that at first he thought the men chasing Dummett were police since they were well dressed and one of them was carrying what appeared to be a .38 revolver, one of the police’s official type weapons.
“The kind of weapon they used was a .38 revolver and they dress like decent citizens, plainclothes. But when the guy (Dummett) holler for thief then I realize it was a robbery,” the eyewitness explained.
Another resident indicated that he saw the men trying to pull Dummett from his car.
It is believed that Dummett tried to grab a knife that he carries in his car to defend himself.
However he failed, since the knife was left lying on the roadway next to the car.
After shooting Dummett, the bandits fled through South Alley into Norton Street and reportedly joined a waiting car.
Family members of the injured taxi driver declined to speak to the media, but a man who was identified at the scene as a brother lamented the fact that Dummett was wearing his jewellery while he plied his trade.
The man said that he had warned Dummett on several occasions to desist from wearing “all that jewellery” while working as a taxi driver.
So far no one has been arrested.
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