Latest update November 13th, 2024 1:00 AM
Murder charge recommended for alleged ‘killer cop’
Shooting death of drug counsellor…
Investigators probing the fatal shooting of drug rehab counsellor Ralph Turpin have reportedly recommended that the implicated police lance corporal be charged with murder.
However, they will be seeking the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions before instituting the charge.
This means that the cop could appear in court no later than tomorrow.
Dead: Ralph Turpin
Kaieteur News understands that investigators believe that following a positive identification of the policeman, there is enough evidence for a case of murder to be made out.
Ballistics experts are also checking the policeman’s personal firearm, a 9mm pistol, to see if they can find a match with spent 9mm shells that investigators recovered from the scene.
It is alleged that the cop, Sherwin Smith, shot Turpin twice in his head when the counsellor tried to make peace between two women outside the Stabroek Market.
One of the women is said to be an associate of the policemen.
Smith allegedly fled the scene and only turned up at the Brickdam Police Station more than a day later after police publicly expressed an interest in questioning him.
Sources close to the investigation have disclosed that Smith has given a statement denying his presence outside the Stabroek Market when the shooting occurred.
However, no less than four persons have given statements claiming that he was the shooter.
Meanwhile, the police Office of Professional Responsibility has launched an investigation into the conduct of a senior police officer who was reportedly at the scene of last Thursday morning’s fatal shooting.
The senior officer has reportedly admitted that he was near the scene but left hurriedly after hearing the gunshots, since he claimed he did not know where they were coming from.
The police had indicated that the officer and his wife are assisting with the investigations.
Sherwin Smith
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