Brothers fearful after ‘village bully’s’ violent attacks

Mar 22, 2022 News

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Kaieteur News –
By Shervin Belgrave
Two brothers who reside at D-Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown are now living in fear after near death encounters with a bully in their community. One of them, 20-year-old Mawanza Clarke, was on Wednesday afternoon almost shot to the head at close range by the bully identified only as “Omari”.
Realising that it was a “life and death” situation, he managed to relieve his attacker of his gun and gave him a sound thrashing before running all the way to the Turkeyen Police Station.
Relating the incident to Kaieteur News on Sunday was Clarke’s elder brother, Anthony Clarke, who was almost stabbed to death by the same individual some two weeks ago. Anthony said, “ My brother’s exact words to me that afternoon was ‘bro you coulda come home and find me dead this afternoon, I was scared for my life but I had to bottle the fear and try meh best to save meh life, I seh is do or die’.”
Clarke was attacked during the late afternoon hours while riding home from work on his bicycle. Anthony said that his brother recalled that as he was riding he heard someone say, “don’t move”. Clarke reportedly stopped but when he turned around he saw the bully standing with a gun.
The next thing Clarke reportedly remembered is trying to save himself from being shot but after the attacker pointed the gun to his head he decided to throw caution to the wind and fight for survival.
Clarke’s encounter with the gunman was captured by CCTV cameras mounted on a nearby building and was later uploaded to the Facebook. The footage shows Clarke trying to walk around his attacker slowly while using his bicycle as a shield.
The gunman, however, continued to charge at him and suddenly pointed the gun to Clarke’s head. Clarke somehow managed to retaliate quickly by dropping his bicycle and grabbing the gunman’s arm with the weapon and wrestled him to the ground. Although the attacker’s resistance was fierce, Clarke dealt him several blows with his hands and used his knees and body weight to pin him to the ground.

After taking possession of the weapon, Clarke got up and ran away, leaving behind his bicycle and the attacker who was seen struggling to get back on his feet. The attacker recovered and rode away on another bicycle that was parked beside the road.
Anthony told Kaieteur News that his brother had sprinted to the Turkeyen Police Station where he lodged the weapon and made a report.
Omari, the bully, was later arrested by police ranks and taken into custody. It is unclear if the suspect is still in custody.
The past two days, when Kaieteur News made contact with the relevant authorities, the response was that no one was in a position to give an update on the matter.
In the meantime, the brothers are fearful for their lives since this is not the first time the suspect has attempted to kill one of them. In fact, on the day that Clarke was attacked with the gun, it is alleged that the suspect was also looking to end Anthony’s life as well.
The bully is said to be the leader of a gang. Some two weeks ago he and 12 men had barged into the brothers’ yard and attacked them with a knife and an ice pick.
Recounting the experience, Anthony said, “I was talking with my brothers in the yard and then one of them seh ‘Anthony run!’…when I look back he done deh up under me with the knife.”
Anthony said that the suspect fired a chop at him with the knife and he barred with his hand. His right index finger was almost severed during the attack.
“Bleeding,” continued Anthony, “I turned and ran away without looking back.” He said that he ran to a nearby health centre where his friend was working to seek medical attention.
After being treated, he reportedly made his way to the Turkeyen Police Station where he reported the incident.
The suspect was arrested but was released from custody the following day and reportedly started hunting for Anthony to kill him. Kaieteur News understands that the suspect was released on station bail while ranks investigated the matter.
Asked why the suspect seem bent on causing them harm, Anthony related that he is a known bully and part of a criminal gang.
He claimed that the suspect’s plan to kill them began on the same he was almost stabbed to death.
“I was in the yard with by brothers when he was riding past on a bicycle. I noticed him watching me aggressively and I said to one of my brothers, ‘is why he watching me like that?’” Anthony told Kaieteur News.
According to Anthony, the suspect overheard his remark and got offended by it.
“He turn back on his bicycle and walked up to us and seh, ‘is wuh you seh deh, I could watch anybody I want’ and he start to carry on,” Anthony related.
The two became involved in an argument and as things escalated, one of Anthony’s brothers intervened. The suspect was then chased away from their premises but before he left he reportedly threatened to return and kill Anthony.
Eight minutes later he returned with a group of 12 men to follow through with his threat.
Moreover, Anthony is pleading with law enforcement to assist him since it seems that the suspect will not stop “until he kills us.”

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