Suspect nursing gunshot wound after botched Stabroek Market break-in

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 April 2016, 12:15 by Denis Chabrol

A 28-year-old man, who was caught stealing inside an electronic store at the Stabroek Market early Thursday morning, sustained a single gunshot to his left leg after trying to attack Constabulary ranks with a knife, City Hall said in a statement.

The man, who identified himself as Delwar Booker of South Sophia Squatting area, is currently under police guard, nursing the wound at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. “The Constabulary Chief said that ranks initially called out to the suspect and demanded that he relieve himself of all weapons and exit the stall. That was when the man is said to have emerged with the knife and advanced the ranks. Despite warnings he persisted. One round was thus discharged, hitting the suspect in his leg,” City Hall said.

Chief Constable Andrew Foo said that around 02:30 hours Thursday, April 14, 2016 the Constabulary received information relating to a disturbance within the city market. He said a team making regular checks to Council property immediately responded.

Checks revealed that security padlocks on the south-western end of the market had been breached. Further checks also revealed that one of the stalls; Electronics City had been broken into.   City Hall said a haversack containing a number of stolen items, which included cellphones was removed from the scene. Several tools used in the break-in were also found at the scene. It included crowbars, pliers and scissors among others.

Operators of Electronics City, according to City Hall’s release, expressed gratitude at the Constabulary’s quick response. They said had the suspect gotten his way he would have carted off more than G$2 million in electronic items.  Investigations are continuing into the incident.