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Lawyer suggests that ranks went to Linden to kill protestors
Police carried semi-automatic rifles to Linden – Police Commissioner
Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell confirmed that ranks, during the July 18 Linden protest over electricity hikes, took high powered semi-automatic rifles (.762 rifles) to engage picketers on the Mackenzie Bridge.
He, however, claimed that carrying the high powered weapons did not necessitate the police ranks using them. He claimed that circumstances on the ground would have determined whether the ranks would use their weapons.
Brumell testified before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Linden shooting which is headed by Justice Lensley Wolfe O.J.; Mr. K.D. Knight S.C; Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Cecil Kennard; and Ms. Dana Seetahal S.C, along with former Guyana Court of Appeal Judge, Claudette Singh.
Brumell responds to questions from Attorney Nigel Hughes
Brumell said that the day before the protest started, he was in receipt of information that members of the Linden protest would be armed; “not equal to that of the police but they would have power,” the Commissioner said.
Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes asked Brumell about the length of time it would have taken the water cannon to get to Linden, and he replied within 75 minutes. The Commissioner was thus asked why was the cannon not taken to Linden, when by his own admission, he knew 24 hours in advance that some protestors in Linden would be armed.
Brumell responded that the water cannon was taken to Linden before the shooting. He later changed his evidence to say that the water cannon was taken to Linden subsequent to the shooting.
Commenting on the late arrival of the water cannon in Linden, Brumell said that he understood that there was a mechanical failure.
Under further questioning, the Top Cop told Hughes that on the day in question Tactical Services Unit ranks (TSU) had four shotguns, two rifles (M70s) capable of firing .762 ammunition, two tear gas rifles and one pistol (9mm). He, however, said none of the officers had police shields.
Hughes then suggested to Brumell that “the police went to Linden with the expressed purpose of killing those people” after concluding that the heavy artilleries that the officers took to Linden was a lot of fire power for escorting persons during a protest. Earlier in the day, Brumell had testified that the police were in Linden only to escort the protestors.
“The police did not expect to get into any kind of action,” Brumell said. He added, “Once there is a unit, the ranks have to be armed; there are weapons and they must be used.”
Hughes asked Brumell if he knew whether the police who went to Linden had their hands swabbed for ballistics evidence and after his usual pause, the Commissioner replied, “I cannot say”.
Brumell said that it was standard procedure for swabs to be done in a homicide investigation. He, however, said that he did not inquire whether the swabs were done in the Linden matter since he felt that “the man in charge of crime knew what he was about”.
He said that he expected investigators to swab the hands of ranks in the Linden matter.
Brumell then confirmed that officers failing to swab the hands of ranks stationed at Linden on July 18 would be in dereliction of their duties. The Commissioner responded that an officer knowing the procedure and not following it “could be in dereliction” of his duties.
He, however, said that he did not believe that investigators would intentionally fail to swab hands of the ranks sent to Linden. For this reason, he said, he conducted no investigation into the matter.
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