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Residents refute claim that shot man is a bandit
The injured Anif Karim
As injured Anif Karim lies on a hospital bed in excruciating pain, after being shot by a police patrol that was responding to an alleged chain snatching, residents of Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara, are claiming that the young man was wrongfully shot.
Police stated that the suspect had snatched a gold chain from Ingrid Brown, an overseas-based Guyanese, who is currently residing at Phase 1, Republic Park, several villages away from where the shooting occurred.
The 23-year-old Karim was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) last Tuesday with an open fracture of the right tibia (bone which is located below the knee).
Concerned residents visited Kaieteur News yesterday in great agitation over the incident involving Karim, who they described as an easy going young man and is hard working.
“This boy don’t get in nobody way, he does work very hard to make ends meet and look what happen to him, this is victimization,” said a woman who requested anonymity.
Kaieteur News paid a visit to Karim, who tearfully recounted the events leading up to the shooting.
He stated that he had just left home and was sitting under a shed at the corner of Norton Street when he saw a police van approaching. He recounted that he, along with a friend, became scared and decided to run. Karim stated that an officer eventually caught up with them, and ordered that they “freeze” (remain motionless).
According to Karim, he and his friend drop to their knees “begging” for their lives.
“We said officer doan shoot, we ent do nothing, but he said doan move or else yuh dead”
Karim claims that despite their pleas, the officer fired a shot at his feet.
With blood flowing from the wound, his friend was ordered to carry him to the police vehicle that was parked in the entrance to the community.
He said that his friend was then allowed to leave.
During this time, many of the community’s residents had come out on the streets to witness what was unfolding.
Karim said that he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent immediate surgery.
While showing much emotion, the injured man insisted that he keeps a clean record and tries everything possible to stay away from brushes with the law.
“I does work to earn a legal dollar and that night I was just sitting with some friends talking when I was wrongfully shot, God knows I did not do anything…they saying I had a knife but I don’t know nothing about that.”
Meanwhile, the related investigation seems to have taken an unusual twist, as ranks are reportedly claiming that the man who committed the unlawful act is one Aris Brown, which has not been well received by Karim’s relatives.
They stressed that the man who was shot was given the name Anif Karim from birth and it is very strange that the police are now renaming him.
“A blind person can see that is victimisation…because they are saying that the man that robbed the woman name is Aris Brown but they shoot Asif Karim and saying that he is de bandit, how could that be possible?”One man questioned.
“We want justice, we believe that this community is being targeted and crime is being pinned on innocent young men.”
Some villagers even pointed out the area where Karim was shot in Bagotstown, contrary to reports by the police alleging that the shooting happened at a shop in Eccles Access Road.
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