–OPR, PCA focused on investigation of the death

HOME Affairs Minister Robeson Benn on Friday met with some 18 persons on Brickdam, outside his office, who were protesting the shooting death of Peter Headley last Saturday.
The minister assured close relatives and friends of Headley’s that the matter is being investigated by the Guyana Police Force; that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is also involved in the investigation, and that the Police Complaint’s Authority (PCA) has been notified.
The minister also had two very close relatives of Headley’s accompany him to his office, where an open-microphone call was made to Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie, who repeated the previously mentioned assurances. Both the minister and the commissioner noted the grave concerns of the relatives and friends with respect to the effect and fears relating to police misconduct. Reports indicate that Headley was shot by one of two police ranks while he was being transported in a car, bearing registration PVV 1771, to the Providence Police Station, East Bank Demerara (EBD). He was reportedly arrested, along with another man, now known to be Rondel Daly, around 20:45hrs on Saturday, May 15, 2021, at Nandy Park, EBD.

Those initial reports said that the two men were suspected to have been involved in a robbery, which took place at Herstelling, also on the East Bank, on Tuesday last.
Headley and Daly were reportedly in a motor vehicle being driven by the former when the patrol ranks intercepted them.
The ranks reportedly searched the car, and found a television set, which they suspected was stolen during the course of the robbery.
Daly was arrested and placed in the police patrol vehicle, while Headley was placed in the front passenger seat of his vehicle. Reports indicate that one rank entered the driver’s seat, while another armed rank entered the back passenger seat before the vehicle drove off.
During the journey, the ranks claimed that Headley reached under the seat and pulled out what looked like a gun. This, the police reports had stated, prompted the rank sitting in the back seat to shoot Headley. The ranks then reportedly drove the wounded suspect to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he succumbed while receiving treatment.
An autopsy done on his remains on Monday last revealed that Headley had died of perforated lung from a single gunshot.