Agricola residents, police face-off as teen shot dead

Sep 12, 2012 News

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–    Cops claim planned robbery thwarted

Tempers flared yesterday morning as angry Agricola residents faced-off with police after a shooting that left a teenager dead and another nursing bullet wounds.
Dead is Shaquille Grant called ‘Georgie,” who would have celebrated his 18th birthday today, and who police say was part of a criminal gang in the East Bank Demerara community.

Another youth sustained injuries to his head, while three others were arrested following what police said was a raid that came from a tip-off about a planned robbery.
Police in a press release stated that at about 12:10 hours yesterday, ranks on a mobile police patrol came under fire from a group of men at Caesar Street, Agricola.
The police said that the ranks returned fire, fatally wounding Shaquille Grant, 17, of Lot 12 BB Eccles, EBD, and injuring Romel Bovell, 20, of Brutus Street, Agricola, who was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and is under guard.
A .38 Smith and Wesson revolver was recovered by the police.
Police said that they received information that a gang in Agricola was planning a robbery on a business entity located near the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
Heavily-armed police reportedly arrived at the Third Street, Agricola, apartment home, swarming over the back fence, surprising a group of young men gathered under a shed. Another police pickup at the same time converged on the front of the yard, effectively locking the group in.
Kaieteur News was told that Grant was shot during an exchange of gunfire. It is believed that Bovell was grazed on his head by a bullet.
One of those taken into custody was said to have been fingered in the daring April 2011 robbery at the Guyana Stockfeeds Limited, Farm, East Bank Demerara.
Residents are however giving a different version of events.

When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene, police had blocked off a certain section of the street and three of the men were seen lying on the ground in the yard.
According to one resident, Grant was the victim of police high-handedness, especially when it came to dealing with youths in the village of Agricola.
One woman who lives in the yard where the shooting took place said that the police came into the yard shooting. She said she heard gunshots and later saw the young men lying on the ground.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said that the officer shot the young man and later stated that “you ent dead yet” and fired another shot. She claimed that it was after the 17-year-old was shot that the police proceeded to search the men. She said for quite some time the injured teen was left lying on ground until the police manhandled him while throwing him into the jeep. “Long, long dem get de boy pun de ground, then dem throw he in de van, and if you see how dem handle he, like is some criminal or some big thief.”
The woman explained that there was no exchange of gunfire between the young men and the police. She said the officers entered the yard through a back entrance that could be accessed from Second Street. She continued that soon after, a pick-up pulled up at the front of the house leaving nowhere for the youngsters to run.
Another resident, who told the media that he was an eyewitness to the shooting, explained that all the men were on the ground and a policeman,with gun in hand, was standing over them.
“I was coming through de street, I see de Corporal one, stand up over de boy and shoot he. When he see me, he chase me out de street,” the resident, who also asked to remain anonymous, said.

One neighbour claimed to have overheard the police demanding cell phones from the men.
Shonette Adams, Grant’s mother almost collapsed when she learnt that her son had succumbed to his injuries. According to the woman, the young man was the second close relative of hers to be killed by the security forces under suspicious circumstances.
His uncle, Seon Grant called ‘Troyee’ was killed in August 2008 at Kuru Kururu as the Joint Services descended on the hideout of wanted men, Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins and Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles.
Adams told the media that her son had graduated from the Citizens Security Programme last year and was scheduled to enlist in the Guyana Defence Force today, on his 18th birthday.
She said that she had sent her son on an errand and when he did not return she became worried.
Adams related that her daughter then informed her that there was “some police shooting in the village”.
“So I asked whey Shaquille, because I know the police does kill any and everybody,” Adams told reporters.
The irate mother said that she is not afraid to speak out, recalling that the police would come into the village and give the youths guns to commit crimes.
“What crime my son did make they shot him in his head? On my way out a young man who they had in the vehicle told me that they shot Shaquille in the head…my son ain’t no owner of a firearm,” she added.
She also recalled other police killings in the village which she claimed were extra-judicial.
“The police always come up with some story to defend themselves,” Grant declared.
As the crowd swelled around the house where the shooting took place, the police’s attempts to arrest a teen who was reportedly taking photographs was met with stiff resistance from the angry residents. The teen managed to escape. However, police ranks started scuffling with another resident ending up in a nearby drain in the process.
It was total confusion.
During the scuffle one of the ranks dropped his radio set and had to search awhile before retrieving it.
Later yesterday afternoon, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Brigadier (rtd), David Granger, went to the community where he heard the residents’ version of what took place.
Granger related the information he received and called on the Force to interdict the police responsible for the shooting so as to facilitate a proper investigation.
“There is no indication that the young men threatened the lives of the police or that of property, so it seems to me on the face of the evidence that has been presented that it is an aggressive act by the police. Even while we are still waiting for a Commission of Inquiry into the shooting at Linden, we are coming to another community and a young man has lost his life.”

Dexter Estwick, the young man with whom the police had the scuffle, used the visit of opposition members to express fear for his life.
He told the opposition leader that after the entire commotion had subsided, several officers returned to the area in pursuit of him. He alleged that the police told him he was next.
A warhead was also found at the crime scene.

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