THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) said Thursday that the file in the matter regarding the fatal shooting of Dameon Belgrave has been sent to the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the process of seeking legal advice.

In a release, the GPF added that cognisant of electronic and print media broadcast/publications concerning the dismissal of charges against the two ranks who were prosecuted following the incident on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, during a Police operation on October 5, 2012, the Force wishes to note that the occurrence had been given wide coverage.
That included the fact that the file had been dispatched to PCA Chairman and the DPP.

However, the GPF is informing the general public that:
* It acted on legal advice obtained from the competent authority and will continue to do so in the future;

* The statement of the Police Ballistics Expert was in the file prior to legal advice being given and

* The prosecutor in the matter is part of the early case assessment programme and operates out of the DPP’s Chambers and not from any Police location.

The Police release went on to state that the GPF accepts criticisms in good faith and is continuously making efforts to address excesses and deficiencies of its ranks.

Every negative
But the GPF also wishes to bring to the notice of the public the efforts of some sections of the media to continuously use the Police as a scapegoat for every negative in the justice system.
“The process forward in the Dameon Belgrave matter is for the DPP to examine the depositions and take a decision on how the Police or the Court proceeds with the matter,” the GPF release said.
It disclosed that a post mortem revealed that Belgrave, who was killed by the Police, died from shock and haemorrhage, as a result of a gunshot wound which entered and exited his body.
Belgrave met his demise as the Police pursued occupants of car number PG 3506, on October 5, 2012, while he was with friends at White Castle Fish Shop at John and Hadfield Streets.
The 21-year-old man, of Middle Street, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Belgrave would have celebrated his 22nd birthday the next day and had been having a pre-birthday drink when he was shot.