Day Two of the protest activities which erupted following the fatal shooting of a Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast businessman during a police operation has resulted in a slowdown of commercial activities in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
A few persons who spoke to this publication confirmed that many businesses have closed their doors in light of the protests at Dartmouth – which has resulted in the blockage of the road, hampering the movement of vehicles and people.
In fact, there were a few incidents of persons having to exit their vehicle to fetch a body through the protest line.
In one particular incident, the protestors had blocked a vehicle from transporting bodies from Charity to a morgue at Onderneeming.
Repots are that the bodies had to be removed from the vehicle and carried across the bridge to another vehicle to get them to the morgue.
At the scene of the protest, residents were enraged and showed no signs of stopping. In fact, reports are they are becoming more aggressive towards the law enforcement officials and are pelting bottles. There are approximately 100 persons on the road engaging in the demonstrations.
As the protest intensifies and residents become more aggressive with the burning of debris and pelting of bottles, Regional Commander Denise Griffith says the Police Force is prepared the take the necessary actions to clear the road.
“Earlier in the day there was calm, but now they are beginning to light debris that is on the roadway. So as you can see, we have the Fire Service here,” she noted.
“I spoke to the aunt of the deceased and she has assured me that she will speak to the residents…probably we will have to make a decision in the near future, a decision in terms of clearing the roadway, whatever is necessary,” the Commander added.
The Commander is also pleading with the protestors to clear the road and allow for the investigation to run its course, assuring that no stones will be left unturned.
“We are asking them to cooperate, it’s an unfortunate incident,” she admitted.
It was reported that Boston, a father of two, was shot at around 04:00hrs on Wednesday by the SWAT officers who went to his home during an anti-crime operation in the region. In an official statement, the police said there was a confrontation between the officers and the businessman, during which he was shot. Boston was reportedly shot to the upper left arm with a .223 caliber gun.
During an emergency press conference hosted by Senior police officials, it was revealed that the officer who pulled the trigger which resulted in the death of the businessman is under close arrest.
Police Commissioner (ag) Nigel Hoppie assured that a speedy, thorough investigation is underway into the circumstances of the operation. This is being conducted by the Office of Professional Responsibility.
However, family members are demanding an independence probe into the matter.
