Family members of a 16-year-old lad are calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to investigate an incident that occurred last Wednesday in vicinity of the St George’s Cathedral in Georgetown and involved the shooting of this teen.
The teen’s father, Kenneth Mackintosh, has said the incident occurred at around 12:00h last Wednesday, while his teen son, a resident of Smyth Street in Georgetown, and his friend were walking towards the St John’s College on Waterloo Street.
According to this father, his son had once been a student of St John’s College, but was expelled in 2021 after being involved in a fight with another student.
This father has said that, on the day in question, while his son was walking with his friend, he came face-to-face with the teen with whom he had had the altercation that had led to his expulsion from St John’s College last year.
He said that teen approached his son with a pair of scissors, and both his son and the friend began to chase this aggressor.
“After he was being chased, he ran over to the Constab, and the Constab Police saw two boys – my son and his friend – chasing him (the aggressor), and they began chasing my son and his friend. While chasing them, they gave a warning shot in the air, and my son stopped, and they arrested him,” the man said.
This father is contending that even though his son was already in handcuffs and in the Constabulary vehicle, he was shot in the abdomen by a City Constable.
“They gun-butt him…and the officer point a gun and shoot him. They raised up his friend jersey, thinking it was him who was shot, but then they see the blood coming from him,” he said.
This teen’s family members are contending that after he was shot, he was taken to the hospital, and a senior rank in the City Constabulary – a relative of the officer who had shot him – came to them with an offer of compensation, which they have refused to accept.
They have expressed a conviction that this case is being covered up by the City Constabulary Department.
Contacted by media personnel over the weekend, acting Town Clerk Candace Nelson has refused to provide any details on the shooting. She repeatedly stated that it was the weekend and she would not provide any information, since she is not conducting the investigation. All calls to officials at the City Constabulary have since proven futile.
As such, family members of this injured teen are calling on the Police to conduct a thorough investigation of this matter.
