South Road shooting deaths…Cops say youths shot at them, were planning robbery

Oct 14, 2013 News

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– Brumell asks witnesses to come forward

Police and civilians yesterday continued to give conflicting versions of Saturday night’s shooting of three Albouystown youths, with police claiming that the trio were planning a robbery and shot at them, and eyewitnesses claiming that the youths were unarmed.
Responding to the conflicting reports, Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell yesterday said that persons claiming to have witnessed the shooting may provide the police with this information.
“As long as they have eyewitnesses let them come…all I can say is that when they see people committing crimes let them come forward (too),” the Commissioner told Kaieteur News.

Jermaine Canterbury, 21, called “Chow”, of Hogg Street, Albouystown and Mark Anthony Joseph, 19, called “Two Grand”, also of Hogg Street, Albouystown, were shot dead during the confrontation while Mario Gouveia, 19, of James Street, Albouystown, was shot in the face. He was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation under police guard.
In a statement yesterday, police said that acting on information about a planned robbery on an occupant of the K&VC Hotel, South Road, Georgetown, police ranks staked out the building last Saturday night.
Police stated that at around 20:30hrs the police observed the occupants of a car, bearing registration number PPP 8539, drive up and stop in Alexander Street. According to the statement, three men exited the vehicle and proceeded towards the K&VC Hotel.
“The police challenged the men who opened fire on them, and the ranks returned fire. During the exchange of gunfire Jermaine Canterbury called “Chow”, 21, of Hogg Street, Albouystown and Mark Anthony Joseph called “Two Grand”, 19, also of Hogg Street, Albouystown, were fatally shot. Mario Gouveia, 19, of James Street, Albouystown, was shot and injured to his face and is a patient under guard at the GPHC,” the statement added.
“The police recovered an unlicensed .32 revolver with two live rounds and one spent shell, and an unlicensed .38 snub-nose revolver with three live rounds and three spent shells. A photograph released to the media also showed a wig, which police said they recovered from one of the suspects.
“The car that the three men arrived in was driven away by a suspected accomplice and has not yet been located,” the statement from the Police Public Relations Department said.
Police revealed that Jermaine Canterbury was released from prison on $100,000 bail on March 27, 2012, after being charged with robbery under arms committed on Rajendra Singh of First Choice Jewellery Store and Pawn Shop during May 2010.

Mark Anthony Joseph was released from prison on January 22, 2013, on $150,000. bail after being charged with robbery under arms committed on Andrew Yaw in December 2012.
Mario Gouveia was released from prison on May 06, 2013, on $200,000 bail, after being charged with robbery under arms committed on Cecil Gajadhar on March 25, 2013.

‘Eyewitness’
Yesterday, a man claiming to be an eyewitness recalled seeing a “van load” of police ranks speeding along South Road. The ‘eyewitness’ said he did not sense anything amiss, since because the ranks often patrolled the dark area.
“Nuff people get clip (rob) pon duh corner because it dark and by is a weekend night nobody don’t walk deh. So I didn’t tek it fuh nothing at first,” he said.
The man alleged that he was with a friend near the K&VC Hotel when they saw two young men on a bicycle speeding up South Road. He said that ranks in a police van intercepted the youths.
“Three a dem come out de van and tell dem man ‘don’t run, empty y’all (expletive) pockets, where de gun deh’, but the boy dem put up they hands and tell dem that them aint got none, and the police start beat dem up,” he alleged.
The man said that during the scuffle, the two youths fell into a nearby trench. It is alleged that the police then brought a third youth to the scene. He was reportedly also apprehended in South Road, some distance away from the two the ranks had arrested.
They beat them boys bad because one a dem de bleeding from he mouth and nose and the other one beg dem don’t shoot he. What get me vex is that the police dem deh stand up at both corners with the gun in the hand and looking out,” he said.
The man alleged that he then heard three gunshots and then saw the two youths lying face-down and motionless.
“I ask me friend ‘is kill them kill them fightin banna dem?’  But then I see they put another one fuh lay down and pop a shot in he, so when we go up close we see dem man lie down in a set a blood but the police man tell me we gaffa push off, is a crime scene,” the eyewitness alleged.
As the two blood stained bodies were placed into the back of the police van, chaos erupted as persons at the scene yelled “murderers” before the vehicle sped off up Camp Street.
Another eyewitness told Kaieteur News that two officers with flashlights then searched the area, apparently in an effort to recover spent shells.
Under police guard at the GPHC yesterday, the wounded Mario Gouveia told Kaieteur News that he left his home around 17:00 hrs on Saturday to meet a female.
“We were at the park and when the place started to get dark she said she going home.” Gouveia added that after his girlfriend left, he decided to purchase ice-cream from Demico House on Camp Street but claimed that he had forgotten that the fast food entity had been relocated to another area several months ago.
Gouveia also claimed that he was standing on Camp Street, waiting on a car, but then said he was waiting on a bus.
“I was waiting on a bus and then I hear gunshots and everyone started to run so I run too.”
“After I started running, four police run and grabbed me and one of them took my gold chain. One of them told me to cuff he and run and when I refuse he put me to lie down and started to kick me.”
Gouveia explained that the police shot at him but missed the first shot. “They miss the first time and then they fire another shot and I can’t remember anything that happened after that.”
“Them other guys (Canterbury and Joseph) are not my friend. They lived in the same street with me,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Jermaine Canterbury’s mother said that a neighbor informed her of her son’s death at around 20:00 hrs on Saturday.
“A neighbour dem shout out and seh ‘Two Grand’ get shoot and he dead,” Cox said.
Cox added that she contacted her other son and daughters to find out if indeed her son was killed and they confirmed the news.
Relatives of the slain youths alleged that police would regularly arrest them.
Another family member alleged that the youths, who are reportedly cousins, recently came from the interior after they contracted malaria.
But relatives of the two men confirmed that they were previously arrested for robbery.

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