The 49-year-old woman who died by suicide this morning at the Brickdam Police Station, Georgetown was a patient at the Psychiatric Clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said in a statement.
The mother of two, identified as Trudy DeHaarte, shot herself shortly after entering the Brickdam Police Station compound at around 09:00hrs. She was an animal welfare officer attached to the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Police explained that the victim and her husband, who is a taxi driver, were having marital problems and as such, the husband had left their home about a week ago and was living with his father.
At around 08:50hrs today, the woman confronted the man and their son on Camp and Regent Streets, Georgetown where she reportedly used an object wrapped in a yellow cloth and struck her husband’s motorcar.
As a result, the man drove to the Brickdam Police Station to make a report against his wife. The woman then followed him. As the husband was waiting to make a report, the victim stood in front of the station.
The husband then pointed out the woman to an officer who then escorted her into the compound.
The woman walked to the entrance of the Enquiries Office where she took out the object in the yellow cloth, which was concealed in a black plastic bag. The woman looked at her husband, who was a short distance away, raised the object (which was still concealed in the bag) to her head, and remarked “this is what you want”.
A clicking sound was then heard and the woman fell to the ground. She was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the weapon used by the victim was a stun gun .which she had in her possession and used during her job as an animal inspector.
Investigations are ongoing.
