POLICE Sergeant Philbert Kendall, who is at the centre of a controversial fatal shooting in Linden has been charged with murder, weeks after the incident sparked widespread public unrest and calls for justice.

On Friday, Kendall was arraigned at the before by Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for the shooting death of 21-year-old Ronaldo Peters.
He was not required to plead to the capital offence and was remanded to prison until May 9, 2025.

The incident occurred on April 7, 2025, in the mining town, where Sergeant Kendall, then in plainclothes, pursued Peters, who was wanted for questioning in relation to a child rape investigation.

Also, CCTV footage later confirmed Sergeant Kendall was seen exiting an unmarked vehicle and chasing Peters, who had been near a roadside shop.
In a subsequent report to his superiors, the policeman claimed that during the chase, Peters attempted to escape over a fence. The officer said that as he tried to pull Peters down, his service pistol accidentally discharged, fatally wounding the young man.

But the explanation failed to calm tensions in Linden. Peters’ death ignited a protest, with residents demanding transparency and accountability.
The unrest peaked when another man, 32-year-old Keon Fogenay, was fatally shot during a clash between protesters and police.

The government turned to the Regional Security System (RSS)—a regional policing body—for assistance. A three-member team was dispatched to Guyana to review the circumstances surrounding both shootings.

The probe into Peters’ killing has since concluded, with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advising that Sergeant Kendall face a charge for the capital offence of murder.
The RSS continues to investigate the shooting death of Fogenay.