QUACY John, the policeman who was on trial for the murder of a secondary school student on the West Bank of Demerara, has been acquitted. 

Kelvin Fraser, a student of Patentia Secondary School, was shot dead when a police patrol entered the compound of the school on June 7, 2010, to quell a ruckus by young men who were reportedly smoking and selling drugs.
But during the hearing, the jury had heard that the lone eye witness had died and that the accused cop had said that the gun went off accidentally while there was a struggle for the weapon between John and Fraser, whom it is said had grabbed the gun.
Assistant Supt. of Police Elston Baird, one of the witnesses for the prosecution told the court that on June 8, 2010, he and other officers visited the Wales Police Station where PC Quacy John was on close arrest as a result of the Patentia shooting the previous day.
According to Baird, he identified himself to John saying that he was stationed at the Office of Professional Responsibility and also told him that he was there to assist in conducting the investigation into the alleged shooting of Kelvin Fraser.
He enquired from John whether he would take him to the scene, and John obliged.
The accused took the party including Cpl Grannum and Assistant Commissioner Jameer to Third Street, Patentia. No caution was given to John.
Witness said that the accused pointed out to the party where the alleged incident had occurred.
The witness added that the policeman said: “The young man was running and I told him to “freeze” and he stopped running. I told him to come over a drain where I was standing. He came. I was holding the gun in my left hand around the middle, the nozzle was pointing upwards.
“I was holding him with my right hand and he grabbed the gun and we started a struggle and the gun went off,” witness said the cop told him.
ASP Baird said that no one in his presence ever put the allegation of murder or manslaughter to the accused, because they were not investigating murder or manslaughter.
In answer to defence counsel Mr. Glenn Hanoman, witness said that the investigation was completed in 4 or 5 days after the 8th of June, 2010.
Baird, in answer to a further question, said that at the end of the fifth day he was unable to appraise himself what the evidence constituted and concluded that Assistant Commissioner Jameer the most senior person on the scene might be able to make an appraisement.Miss Diana Kaulesar conducted the case for the prosecution .

(By George Barclay)