Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Overseas-based former policeman trusts Top Cop Brumell to probe nephew’s killing
Despite the apprehensions of his sister in law, an overseas-based former policeman has placed his trust in Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell to “get to the bottom” of the “real” circumstances surrounding the shooting death of his nephew Delon Hawker.
Newton Hazel, who resides in the United States of America believes that given the conflicting reports surrounding the shooting, a clear explanation is necessary to allay the suspicions of Hawker’s relatives.
NEWTON HAZEL
And Newton is holding the Commissioner to his word that a thorough investigation will be carried out and that nothing will be swept under the carpet as was the case of many other police shootings.
Hawker, 29, was shot dead by police at Dundee, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, after he and an accomplice had allegedly raided a house, at Good Faith, Mahaicony.
Police claimed that he was shot during an exchange of gunfire, which they supported with the reported recovery of two firearms from the dead man.
However, the police version was contradicted by the victim of the burglary who claimed that the suspects never had a chance to pull a gun.
Hazel said that based on the conflicting accounts of the incident, he decided to travel to Guyana to seek answers.
His position is somewhat different from that taken by the dead man’s mother, who is also a serving member of the Guyana Police Force.
“I am not planning to fight fire with fire,” Hawker’s mother had told this newspaper on the day a pathologist examined his body.
The grieving mother had admitted that her son was previously jailed for seven years after a gun and a quantity of marijuana were found in the yard where he once lived. He was released from prison last March.
The woman refused to believe the police version of what transpired when her son was shot.
“They say that my son shoot at them. If the police and the thieves were in a shootout, why the police weren’t injured? Why my son was only shot once?”
Hazel in an interview with this newspaper last Thursday, said that while his nephew was no angel, the circumstances surrounding his death were not clear cut and warranted a thorough probe to prevent any possible cover-up.
“If he was shot dead in that woman’s house, I would not have even decided to come home to bury him. But some things are not adding up,” he said.
DELON HAWKER
The former policeman who recently returned home to bury his nephew, visited Commissioner Brumell, who he claimed was his boss when he served in the Guyana Police Force two decades ago, to seek answers.
“My nephew wasn’t innocent …He did stuff…that’s understood; but we believe that the day of the occurrence, he had nothing to do with it,” Hazel said.
“I went and I shared that with the Commissioner. His response was that he was happy that I came. He said that I’m the first person ever to come to him, sharing a concern that they were not in agreement with whatever the situation is. He said that what happens is that people go to the newspapers first,” Hazel explained.
After listening to Hazel, the Commissioner engaged the current Head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Heeralall Mackanlall, to look into the matter.
Hazel, who returned to the USA yesterday, said that he has taken this course of action because he does not want the matter to be swept away like many other police killings which are tainted in controversy.
He is very confident that the Commissioner will ensure that the matter is properly investigated and he is prepared to accept the results.
“I trust the Commissioner’s straight-upness….He will do a thorough investigation to bring out the truth; if the police are accountable for the situation, they will be dealt with according to law,” Hazel said.
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