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Police shooting of accomplice

Jun 01, 2023 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Editorial…

Kaieteur News – One would think that when an arm of the State puts out a report it would meet some of the criteria of what could be considered credible.

In terms of trust, confidence, and overall safety and security, this becomes even more relevant when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is the State institution involved, and a fatal shooting is the result.

What came out as the initial GPF report of the shooting of Neon Howard, an ‘accomplice’, as he is now officially labeled, of escaped mass murderer, Mark Royden Williams, is the ludicrous taken to new depths, and causes numerous anxieties, regarding how the GPF operates, and the regard that is manifested for citizens.

The first report from the GPF spoke of a ‘shootout’ between the accomplice and ranks. Notably, there was nothing about a gun found. The first photo of the accomplice, who the public had never heard of as Wanted’, has him lying on his back with his hands behind him, hinting at some level of restraint, a heavy foot firmly planted on his chest, and a firearm pointed most authoritatively at him. The still shot shows two other pairs of feet around this corralled and captive accomplice. So, there are three people, likely law enforcement, plus another doing the videotaping, which totals to four individuals. Yet, through some miracle, some magical manoeuvre, Guyanese have since been informed that accomplice Howard was somehow able to overcome all those restraints from a prone position, and even more strangely manage to relieve a member of the GPF of his firearm.

Something is missing in the narrative released by the GPF. Things are not adding up; in fact, subsequent events in this blur of tense activity only makes the GPF’s story fall apart some more. For Mr. Howard, having freed himself and seized a firearm, raced in from the vehicle that was transporting him, turned around, and is engaged in cranking his illegally obtained weapon, which is all captured in another video. The official report relays that Mr. Howard is shot at in a small volley of fire, is struck by one round from an AK-47.  Thereafter, he is shot and struck some more, and the encounter is over, with accomplice Neon Howard now deceased.

What to make of all this? Is this another of those murky murder mysteries where dead men tell no tales, and silencing was always the first order of business? The haziness regarding whether this accomplice was handcuffed or not is compounded by the issues surrounding his inexplicable, incredible, escape from the custody of the GPF ranks in attendance. Then, there is the matter of his running to the front of the machine that was taking him somewhere, and then turning around to confront his pursuers. Even more mysteriously, the accomplice is hit by a round from a high-powered assault rifle and is still supposedly in full combat mode. The round that struck him has plenty of penetrating power when coming into contact with substances such as wood and steel. The flesh and bone of accomplice Neon Howard must be made of some special texture for him to withstand that hit, and still be committed to cranking his weapon.

The point of all this is that if the GPF, or any Government agency, is going to issue a statement before the public, there should be some self-respect in the entity itself as to the quality of what is released and, more importantly, some regard for the intelligence of the Guyanese people.  No State agency, no Government, should be so dismissive of the interest and concerns of citizens as to attempt to shovel this kind of drivel at them. This is not accountability but arrogance that is cavalier to the extreme, and reveals an unacceptable level of incompetence and unprofessionalism.

Clearly, there are those in charge who do not care how they are perceived, then this is what transfers down into many institutions, and the attitudes that are displayed before the public. When this development about a fatal encounter with an accomplice is handled in this shoddy way, then only the same garbage, perhaps worse, is to be expected in the future on this and other matters, and from all over.

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