“Vigilantism” will not be tolerated- Pres. Granger, following recent shooting death, beating of suspects

Last Updated on Sunday, 21 August 2016, 21:40 by Denis Chabrol

President David Granger Sunday night said ‘vigilantism’  would not be tolerated, in the wake of the beating of three suspected bandits and the killing of another in two separate incidents in recent days.

“We can’t tolerate that. We accept that citizens have a right to protect their property and so on and we expect people to be organised in CPGs – the Community Policing Groups- but we can’t tolerate vigilantism especially when it results in the injury or death of anybody,”  he said.

The Guyanese leader, who is a former member of the Disciplined Services Commission (DFC), told reporters that such a situation “can get out of hand”.

Divisional Commander for Georgetown and East Bank Demerara, Assistant Commissioner Marlon Chapman told Demerara Waves Online News Sunday night that police were still searching for the suspects who shot dead a man and beat another man who were both seen acting in a suspicious manner in a shop at Johanna, East Bank Demerara on Saturday afternoon.

Two bandits were also caught and beaten by North Ruimveldt residents after they attempted to rob a barber of his gold chain. One .32 pistol and several matching rounds were discovered at the scene.

In the latest incident , police said the men fled into nearby bushes after the grocer raised an alarm. They later surfaced at Pearl Village, East Bank Demerara at about 11:30 Saturday night when one of them was shot dead and another was beaten, treated at the Georgetown Hospital and released into the custody of police.

Dead is 21-year old Seon “Cash Money” Clarke of Old Road, Land of Canaan. The injured person was not named by the Guyana Police Force.

They were beaten at Pearl Village, East Bank Demerara at about 11:30 Saturday night,  more than seven hours after they were seen acting suspiciously at a grocery store at Johanna, East Bank Demerara.

Investigators have so far found out that that at about 2 PM Saturday, Clarke and the other man went into a grocery store at Johanna  and were observed by the proprietor behaving suspiciously.

“The proprietor made his way to the public road and alarmed a policeman who was passing at the time; the police responded and in the process, he summoned other policemen.

The men fled into the bushes, and during the process, two loud explosions were heard. A search was conducted but they were not found,” the Guyana Police Force said in a statement.

Police were told that at about 11:30 Saturday night, members of the community spotted the men on the Pearl Public Road and apprehended them. During the process, it was alleged that one of the public spirited citizens shot Clarke and inflicted a beating on his accomplice.

“The men were handed over to the police, who rushed them to the Diamond Public Hospital, where Clarke was pronounced dead on arrival, whilst his accomplice was treated and sent away. He had since been taken into police custody and is assisting with the investigation,” police said.