Cop positively identified as drug counselor’s killer

Sep 18, 2011 News

Eyewitnesses to last Thursday morning’s fatal shooting outside the Stabroek Market have positively identified a police Corporal as the gunman.
The rank, whose name was given as Corporal Sherwin Smith, was picked out from an identification parade by no less than four persons yesterday.
This is the first step towards prosecution in the matter.

Suspect cop Sherwin Smith

It is not yet clear if the policeman has given a statement with regards to the matter although he was thoroughly grilled by several senior police investigators when he turned himself in around 16:00 hours on Friday.
Kaieteur News understands that the rank told investigators that he is ‘confused’ about the allegations being put to him concerning Turpin’s death and he had reportedly told the investigators that he would give a written statement ‘in his own time.’
The 54-year-old Turpin of Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara, was shot twice in the head when he intervened to make peace between two warring factions.
He and his companions, along with the Police Corporal and another senior police officer were purchasing food at a stall near Demico House when the shooting occurred.
Police in a carefully worded press release last Thursday had stated that their investigations so far have disclosed that the senior police officer and his wife went to purchase food at the Stabroek Market during which there was an altercation involving females near the food stall.
The police release also stated that the senior officer and his wife are assisting the police in the investigations.
This newspaper has learnt that the senior officer has admitted that he was in the area of the shooting but fled immediately after he heard the gunshots.
He reportedly told investigators that since he did not know where the gunshots were coming from, he became afraid and fled with his female companion.

Dead: Ralph Turpin

However, there are reports that the police corporal in custody, is a close associate of the senior cop and from all indications they were together at the scene of the shooting.
Meanwhile, there are also reports that several eyewitnesses to the incident have been receiving threatening telephone calls.
But while they have not reported these threats to the police for obvious reasons, they have assured that they will not be deterred from seeing justice prevail.