Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 08, 2010 News
A Patentia, West Bank Demerara family is calling on the authorities to ensure that justice is served after a 15-year-old member of the family was shot and killed by the police, yesterday.
Around 14:05 hrs, 15-year-old Kelvin Anthony Fraser, of East Patentia was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. While the police remain tight lipped on the issue, several persons who saw what transpired vented their feelings. They accused the police of acting irrationally.
This newspaper was told that a man went to the Wales Police station and reported that a group of young men was in front of the Patentia Secondary School smoking marijuana. According to a source, several police ranks immediately exited the station after fully arming themselves and raced to the scene.
Reports are that upon seeing the rank, the group of young men, including students who were dressed in uniform, started to run. An eyewitness said that one of the police ranks immediately opened fire in the direction of the youths, fatally wounding one.
The rank was reportedly armed with a shotgun.
Sources say that even after one of the young men lay on the road with a visible gunshot wound, the ranks placed his accomplices on the road and proceeded to search them.
It is still not clear if anything was found on the youths. They were nevertheless bundled into the back of the vehicle along with the injured lad and taken to the Wales Police Station.
Kaieteur News understands that the constable who shot Fraser is under close arrest. He has reportedly said that his shotgun went off accidentally while the youth was struggling with him.
A source who was in the police station at the time said that several minutes after the ranks raced out of the station, they returned with several youths who appeared to be all under 15-years-old.
“When they come in de station they just put dem children in the lock-ups, and run out back to de vehicle. They didn’t inform no senior officer that somebody get shoot.”
The source revealed that it was not until a civilian walked into the station and enquired if anyone heard about a shooting then the station sergeant was informed that there was a shooting,”
“All I hear de sergeant say is ‘Y-all try deh. Y-all shoot de people children and ain’t say nothing…Y-all gon give people trouble.’”
The police reportedly went to the lock-ups. “At de lock ups they trying fuh tell de other boys that dem lock up fuh say is some man from the community do de shooting.”
One source said that she went to one of the young man in the lock ups and told him “Speak de truth and it will set you free”.
The police refused to give any details of the incident.
The child’s mother, Sharon Fraser, said that she was not informed how her only son met his demise. She said she was at home when several police ranks visited her and informed her that her son was killed.
The woman, who briefly visited the Wales Police Station, was inconsolable as she wept when her worst fears were confirmed.
Fraser sustained one gunshot wound to his chest.
To make matters worse, relatives of the other youths who were detained, up to press time were not allowed to see them. Relatives say they are not being told why the youths are being detained.
One woman said that her nephew and several other youths from the Patentia community went to the school to attend a President Youth Award Republic of Guyana camp meeting. A PYARG member also made several attempts to have this verified with the police but to no avail. Persons told this newspaper that the police were not willing to listen to anything they had to say.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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