By Leroy Smith
After reviewing all the evidence and statements submitted, the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecution on Monday recommended that the Guyana Police Force charge two of its own with manslaughter.The charges are to be instituted against the two ranks for the July 04, 2015 shooting of a man who was said to be of unsound mind and unarmed at the time at Cane Grove East Coast Demerara. On July 04, 2015 two police constables shot 30-year-old Junior Gulliver at Strathavon Cane Grove East Coast Demerara. The man had earlier been threatening residents of the community and running them with a cutlass according to statements.
A report was made to the police and they showed up at the area to arrest the man but were forced to retreat as the man attacked them, the ranks were unarmed at the time according to residents. The police ranks returned to their police station and requested weapons and were issued same by a female police sergeant. They went back to the area looking for the man who by that time had secured himself in a shack. The police ranks had indicated that they were attacked by the man of unsound mind- a claim that was not disputed by the residents who reminded that it was on their first visit that the ranks were attacked and had to retreat even as the man damaged a police vehicle window but upon their second return they were not confronted by the man.
The police during efforts to arrest Gulliver reportedly shot him, a move that angered the residents of the community who said that they had no right shooing him since he was unarmed. The police immediately launched an investigation and the file was sent to Police Office for Professional Responsibility and the Police Complaints Authority. The Police Complaints Authority Chairman Justice Cecil Kennard had recommended manslaughter charges for the ranks and based on the advice from the DPP’s Chambers on Monday that recommendation was upheld after that office took into consideration what was presented in the files submitted. The two police constables are likely to appear in court as early as today.