Traffic police, firefighters in fracas after mishap that damaged minister’s vehicle

Last Updated on Saturday, 27 June 2026, 20:28 by Writer

An incident in the compound at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, on Saturday involving a fire tender that resulted in damage to a government minister’s vehicle sparked off a physical confrontation between firefighters and police as they tried to arrest the tender’s driver.

The incidents also raised glaring legal and procedural concerns, according to well-placed sources.

One of the sources said the police had no right to intervene because the incident was not a traffic offence and in any case it occurred on what could be termed private property and not on a roadway.

Further, another source told Demerara Waves Online News that instead of the traffic police attempting to arrest at least two of the firefighters, a senior police officer should have contacted the relevant senior fire service officer or the Fire Chief and request statements from the firefighters at a convenient time.

The source said that is the established Joint Services protocol.

The brawl between the police and firefighters stemmed from the water tender’s accidental pulling of a cable connected to a flood light generator and the falling of a pole on the junior housing minister’s vehicle.

Video posted on social media shows two firefighters attempting to block traffic policemen from arresting another firefighter who was driving the fire tender that accidentally pulled the cable.

The source said the driver was merely assisting his colleagues with the departure of the fire tender that had gone there to deliver water for the toilets and other uses when the mishap occurred.

At the time of the incident, the source said Minister Vanessa Benn was not in the vehicle.

A source said a senior police officer arrived on the scene and the lawmen were subsequently informed that the driver of the fire tender could not leave the stadium because he and his crew were on standby with another fire tender.

With several persons recording the fracas between the firefighters and the traffic policemen, the lawmen left without arresting anyone.

One of the firefighters went to a hospital to obtain a medical report on the grounds that he was injured while the police tried to allegedly force him into a vehicle.

However, a source said the firefighter was unable to wait any longer on a doctor because he had to respond to a fire.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force confirmed that the incident occurred at 11:41 on Saturday morning involving a fire tender and a motor vehicle attached to the Ministry of Housing.

No mention was made that the vehicle was assigned to the junior housing minister.

Police said their investigations so far revealed that a 50-year-old Leading Fireman attached to the Guyana Fire Service was driving the fire tender at the time.

While attempting to exit a gate from the eastern side of the tarmac, the fire tender came into contact with a portable light pole, which then struck the motor vehicle that was parked on the eastern side of the tarmac.

As a result, the motor vehicle sustained damage to the right-side driver’s door and fender.

“During the course of the investigation at the scene, a commotion occurred involving the driver of the fire tender, Police ranks, and other Guyana Fire Service ranks. The commotion reportedly stemmed from efforts to have the driver accompany ranks as part of the investigative process. The situation was subsequently de-escalated,” police said in a statement.