ONE day after dance promoter Godwin Maxwell, 31, of Calcutta, plunged into the murky Mahaicony Creek, also on East Coast Demerara, relatives continued to comb the water yesterday in search of his body. His uncle, Wilbert Inniss told the Guyana Chronicle that, up to press time, they were still searching for his nephew, who fled from lawful custody at Mahaicony Police Station, where he was waiting to be bailed on tax evasion charges.
Inniss, who had accompanied Maxwell to Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court, was talking with Magistrate Haymant Ramdhani when they heard a commotion and a single gunshot.
Standing by a window in the building, they saw Maxwell taking the plunge and clinging to a post when the policeman who pursued him discharged a round in his direction.
Inniss, was unsure whether Maxwell was shot but added that, upon seeing what was taking place, the magistrate admonished the Police to desist from shooting.
Maxwell was facing the charges after staging several events for youths.
Inniss explained that, prior to Maxwell’s Court appearance, he visited the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Georgetown and requested an out of Court settlement on receiving 10 summonses.
The mother of Maxwell’s child, Patrice Downer told reporters he left home to attend Court and she next heard he had jumped into the deep shortly after midday Monday.
She, too, is still hoping that Maxwell is alive although, after the Police fired at him, he went under the water surface and was not seen again.
The Police are yet to issue an official statement about the incident in which relatives of Maxwell are claiming that excessive force was used.