Breaking news!!! Anger boils in Linden after deadly night

Jul 19, 2012 News

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–  Residents gather for second day of protest 

 

Cleared streets but an uneasy mood permeated the town of Linden Thursday morning, hours after a nasty battle between law enforcement officers and protesting residents left three persons dead on day one of protests against electricity rate hikes.

Several persons are being treated at the Linden Hospital for various wounds, including gunshots to the back, chest and face.

Just before noon, scores of residents were gathering for the second day; this time, the anger of the residents has shifted from the electricity rate hikes to the Police action Wednesday evening.

At around 11:00 hrs, they began gathering just off the burnt down office of the Linden Mining Company, a short distance away from where the charred remains of a truck and bulldozer litter the road – reminders of a fiery response to the Police’s deadly force.

Early in the morning, residents reported what they say was antagonistic behaviour by the Police, including the dumping of a sound system and food ration they were going to cook, into the Demerara River.

Dead are Selwyn Boyea, 18, of Wisroc Park; Ron Somerset, 19; and Allan Williams, 54, of Wisroc, Linden hospital officials confirmed.

Among those at the hospital are Michael Roberts, 47, of Independence Avenue, McKenzie, who is nursing a gunshot to the right side face; Hector Solomon, 23, of Wismar, who is being treated for a gunshot wound to the chest; Ulric Michael, 33, of Canvas City, who also sustained a gunshot wound to the chest; Reuben Bower, 56, of Silver City, who suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg; Dexter Scotland, 38, of Victory Valley, who is being treated for trauma to the nose; Janice Berger, 52, of Industrial Area, who sustained a gunshot wound to the back; Dwight Yaw, 25, of Victory Valley, who suffered a gunshot wound to the left side and Cleveland Barker ,35, of Wisroc, who suffered a gunshot to the back; Yolanda Hinds, 35, of Silvertown, who sustained a gunshot wound to the right leg; Brian Charles, 45 of Wismar; who suffered trauma to his right hand; Collis Duke, 26, who sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of his face; Jermain Allicock, 35, of Wismar, who sustained a gunshot to the left buttocks; Alice Barker, 31, of Wismar, who suffered gunshot wounds to both legs; Nalini Spencer, 37, of Watooka, who suffered a wound to the left shoulder; Sandar Lyte, 27, of Christianburg, who suffered trauma to the head; Ann Bobb-Semple, 34, of Mckenzie, who sustained shots and pellet wounds to the back, side and elbow; Collis Adams, 27, who received a shot to the neck and right ankle.

Jean Damond, the mother of national athletic star Marian Burnette, said she was on the bridge at around midnight helping to cook for the protestors when the Police came up and took the goods and threw it overboard.

She spoke to Kaieteur News where she was visiting her son, William Burnette, 35. Burnette said he was among the protestors when he received pellet shots to the left side of his head. He fell into a gutter, but got out and ran to the hospital when he really realized he was shot.

Lennox Campbell, 65, said he was on his way home when he was shot. He complained the patients were without food and drinks up to noon.

Janice Burger, 52, said she was among the protestors earlier when they were confronted by Police ranks and asked to disperse. She was shot twice in her back.

From her hospital bed, she related that earlier in the day the Joint Services ranks began to release tear gas into the crowd forcing them to run to safety.

“First they come and scare we a little, and we get them to go away, but about 5:30 in the afternoon they come back and start with the tear gas again, and all I hear is a boy start shouting that the police shooting, and I turn around to run and I just feel a numbness in my back,” she said.

Grimacing in pain, the woman related that she fell to the ground but was eventually assisted to the hospital.  The woman further recounted that an x-ray revealed that a bullet was lodged in her back.

“The doctor say it hard to remove the bullet because of the position it in, so they may have to take me for surgery in Georgetown.

Jahmeke Brumell is the youngest to have been injured. The 17-year-old lad said he was in the crowd walking away when he heard the gunfire erupting.

“I turn around to call a friend and all I hear is ‘blam blam’  and I fall down; and I just feel blood running down me foot.”  The lad recounted that it was an elderly woman who started screaming for help and who rendered assistance to him.

“The police start holler on she and telling she lef me leh I dead, but she collect a belt and a piece of cloth and tie up me foot,”

Ulric Michael, 33, of Canvas City, is said to be in a critical condition at the Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. He sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.

Opposition leader David Granger visited the injured early in the morning. Up to noon, there were no reports of any government officials in the area.

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