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Corentyne teen killed during police chase
…brutality claims spark fiery protests
…Govt. promises impartial probe
(Kaieteur News) – A 16-year-old Corentyne teenager was killed following a police chase on Thursday evening, with conflicting accounts of how the tragedy unfolded triggering fiery protests and renewed allegations of police brutality in Region Six.
Dead: Altaf King, 16
Residents allege that Altaf King was struck from his motorcycle by a police patrol vehicle during the pursuit, while the Guyana Police Force maintains that the teenager lost control of his motorcycle while attempting to evade ranks and crashed into a utility pole. As tensions mounted Thursday night, angry residents blocked the Princetown Public Road with burning tyres and other debris, demanding justice and an independent investigation into the teen’s death.
In a statement last night, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said its Office of Professional Responsibility has commenced an immediate investigation into the death of King.
According to police, enquiries disclosed that King was riding motorcycle #CL 5607 when he attempted to evade a police patrol, lost control of the motorcycle and collided with a utility pole.
King sustained injuries and was conveyed to the No. 75 Regional Public Hospital, where he was examined and pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty.
“The OPR investigation will examine all aspects of the incident and establish whether there was any criminal or disciplinary culpability, ” the statement read.
The Guyana Police Force said it recognises the seriousness of this matter and assures the relatives of the deceased and members of the public that appropriate action will be taken should any criminal or disciplinary culpability be established.
Meanwhile, in a video uploaded to Facebook, King is shown lying in a pool of blood, with severe injuries to his head and leg. His mangled motorcycle was seen a few meters from where he laid. Onlookers lamented the seemingly callous manner in which the young man was placed into the trunk of the police vehicle by attending ranks.
While full details surrounding the incident have not been made clear so far, reports are that a police patrol vehicle was involved in a high-speed chase with King, and that he was struck down by the Force’s vehicle. Other reports stated that the teen crashed into a utility pole.
Motorcycle involved in accident.
The teen’s death has led to instant protest, and irate residents within the area reacted by blocking the Princetown Public Road with burning of tyres and other materials on Thursday evening. Calls for justice are intensifying, even as residents regard the incident as murder and hold the view that the police will attempt a cover-up.
King attended the Skeldon Line Path Secondary School, where he recently sat the CSEC examinations and was awaiting his results. Kaieteur News also understand that he was an only child for his parents.
“Duh wuh happen tonight ain’t supposed to happen. The police them chase down a young school individual. Not like he’s a thief man that rob people or something. An innocent youth,” one bystander noted, calling for the traffic police to cease harassing individuals.
“It’s a child, and he needs justice, he is just 16 years old. It’s my neighbour’s only child, and she needs justice for her child. That is wrong,” an acquaintance of the family stated.
The incident has drawn the condemnation of the Opposition, led by We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), which expressed concerns over what it believes is rapidly becoming a pattern in Guyana, where extraneous courses of violence are taken against civilians by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
Also leading calls for investigations was the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). In a statement, the party noted that the young man’s death is a tragedy. Expressing that it is “deeply concerned,” the party mounted calls for thorough and impartial investigations over the serious allegations of police brutality.
“The PNCR/APNU strongly condemns any conduct by law enforcement officers that places the lives and safety of citizens, particularly our young people, at unnecessary risk. The Guyana Police Force has a duty to protect life, and every operation must be conducted with professionalism, restraint, and full regard for human life.”
In that regard, PNCR/APNU is also demanding that the ranks responsible for causing the death of the young man be held accountable, and called for the findings of the investigations to be made public.
For her part, Oneidge Walrond, Minister of Home Affairs extended condolences to the family and loved ones of King. “My thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of profound grief. I wish to assure the family and the public that this matter will be the subject of a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation. Every aspect of the incident will be carefully examined, and if any criminal or disciplinary culpability is established, it will be dealt with swiftly and in accordance with the law. No one is above accountability,” the minister said in a statement.
“I also appeal to the residents of Skeldon and the surrounding communities to remain calm, refrain from actions that may endanger lives and allow the investigative process to proceed without interference. I understand the grief and concern being expressed, but it is essential that the truth is established through a comprehensive and independent investigation,” the statement ended.
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Princetown Public Road is a straight stretch starting from about the #75 new
Hospital.
I am always concerned when a GPL pole is damaged in accidents.
A 16 y.o. riding a Motor Cycle ? Was he licensed by GRA ? Or, just joy riding
when the Police came upon him ? If the Police vehicle hit the rider in the
rear, that would cause the accident, damage to GPL pole. Otherwise,
the youngster was a very good rider until….