Armed bandit’s Facebook postings trigger several searches
–assailant was not issued with firearm license

UP to noon yesterday, police from ‘A’ Division and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) were conducting several searches at various locations at Agricola, East Bank Demerara, in the aftermath of the shooting death of armed bandit Kevin Fields.

The searches, this newspaper was informed, were triggered by the dozens of photographs on Fields’ Facebook page displaying a firearm license, several different firearms and magazines and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest.
Crime Chief Leslie James told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that the firearm license featured on the Facebook page of the young assailant looks like the ones issued by the Force, but based on the records of the police, there has been no reports of licensed firearm holders having their firearm license missing or stolen.
The Crime Chief said that the police are continuing their investigations into the matter, and are looking to enhance the images on the dead man’s Facebook page to ascertain whose firearm license he was posing with, and how he may have obtained the document.
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Leslie James said that sleuths are also following up questions raised by the Republic Bank Card which is featured in one of the photographs, and the large amount of cash and other items he displayed.
On his primary photograph on Facebook, Fields poses with several one and five thousand dollar notes, beverages, a bank card, firearm license and a condom in a wrapper.
Other photographs on the man’s Facebook page include him posing as a masked bandit while wearing what appears to be a bulletproof vest, displays of several firearms and other articles reflecting life in the fast lane.
Meanwhile, other investigators working on the case have made it clear that they are not able at this time to determine if the bandit who was shot on Monday was the same person who recently snatched close to one million dollars from a woman in a pharmacy who was trailed from a city bank by a gunman and an accomplice.
Investigators said that while the clues all seem familiar, the police just cannot go around pinning murders and robberies on persons who are deceased without doing proper investigations.
On Monday, Fields was shot dead after snatching a bag containing $1.7M from a businessman who was making a purchase at Ramchand Auto Spares on Sheriff Street.
This publication was told that the businessman had earlier visited another business establishment in the city where he made a purchase before travelling to the Sheriff Street store.
After the bandit snatched the bag of money and ran out of the store, he was pursued by the businessman. The bandit discharged a round and the businessman, who is a licensed firearm holder, returned fire, hitting his assailant in the process. Sources said that Fields was already on the Honda CG motorcycle with his accomplice when the businessman shot him off the bike.
The accomplice then rode away, and according to unconfirmed reports, returned to the scene and spent a short while before moving off. Persons in the area were very much in support of the actions of the businessman who was able to represent himself with his firearm.

(By Leroy Smith)