Women shocked severely after policeman discharges rounds, cutting electrical cable

Last Updated on Saturday, 10 October 2015, 14:17 by GxMedia

Two women were Friday night shocked and hospitalized after a policeman discharged several rounds in the air and burst an electrical cable at a night spot at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, police and residents confirmed.

The seriously injured woman, 21-year old Nikeesha Clarke,is pregnant and she was expected to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for advanced treatment and care. Relatives said about one-third of her body- a shoulder, back, buttocks and one of her legs- has been burnt. She has regained consciousness and her condition has been listed as stable, according to her father Samuel Stephens.

Clarke, a former employee of Church’s Chicken, is a vendor outside Good Times Bar.

The other woman has been identified as 32-year old Althea Mc Pherson who was treated at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and discharged. She sustained burns to her feet. Clarke recalled the incident: “I went out to drop this money for my landlord and I saw her (Clarke) out there and she told me to hold on a little bit for her because she will finish selling and we stood up and we heard a loud explosion so I told her to run because I did not know if was a gunshot or a big squib. As soon as I told her to run, I did not know what happened until I found myself on the ground,” she said.

Mc Pherson said she was shaking badly while she was in contact with the wire but eventually someone managed to remove it from her. However, Clarke remained in contact with the wire for more than 20 minutes while persons tried to remove the wire from her.

A senior police officer confirmed that the incident occurred and that the policeman has been placed under close arrest.  The officer said the policeman is from ‘A’ Division.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred at Good Times Bar, Middle Street, Pouderoyen where a  song began playing and the policeman began discharging several rounds in the air with his service firearm.