One week after 45-year-old Peter Headley, a taxi driver of Dowding Street, Kitty, Georgetown was fatally shot by police while custody, his relatives picketed the Home Affairs Ministry on Friday calling for justice.
Police had initially reported that Headley was implicated in a robbery at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on May 1, 2021, but his family is contending that the man was not a bandit.
After the fatal shooting on May 15, 2021 at Nandy Park, EBD, the police had reported that a television set that is suspected to have been stolen during the armed robbery at Herstelling was found in Headley’s vehicle.
At the time, Headley and another man were in the vehicle and as such, they both were arrested. Headley was reportedly placed in the front passenger seat of his car which was being driven by an armed police rank. Another police rank was in the backseat of the vehicle while the other suspect was taken into the police vehicle with the other ranks.
On their way to the Providence Police Station, it was alleged that Headley reached under the seat and pulled out what appeared to be a firearm, causing the armed rank to discharge a round, hitting him to his body.
The injured mas was instead rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he succumbed while receiving medical treatment. This has led to the close arrest of the two police ranks.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn met with the relatives who picketed his ministry and assured them that the matter is being thoroughly investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Police Complaint’s Authority.
In addition, the minister, also took two of Headley’s close relatives to his office where he made an open telephone call to Commissioner of Police, Nigel Hoppie who also gave his assurances into a thorough investigation.
“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,” the Ministry stated in a release to the media.
A postmortem performed on the body of the taxi driver gave the cause of death as single gunshot wound that perforated his lungs.
