Latest update April 14th, 2026 12:38 AM
Russian roulette by cop …It looks as though the police are trying to cover up – Felix
“We are not covering up. There is a process that has to be followed”- Police source
“It looks as though the police are trying to cover up because it is not a case where they don’t know what to say. They (police) know exactly what should be said.”
Former Commissioner of Police and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Winston Felix
This is the assertion of former Commissioner of Police and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Winston Felix. The issue was the shooting of a 15-year-old boy in the mouth by a policeman almost three weeks ago.
Felix’s opinion, based on his experience as the former Commissioner of Police, was given during a press briefing yesterday at Side Walk Café, Middle Street, Cummingsburg.
It has been almost three weeks since Alex Griffith was dragged from his North East La Penitence home by a party of policemen headed by a Cadet Officer and taken to another location where a gun was placed in his mouth and a round discharged.
The bullet exited behind the teenager’s left ear. Fortunately it does not appear that it damaged any major organ in his head. The callous act described by the teenager was similar to Russian roulette.
According to the former commissioner, it is an offence according to the Police Disciplinary Act for an officer to be playing Russian roulette with a human life. He described the action of the Cadet Officer in question as wayward.
“We have not seen any statements from the hierarchy of the GPF relating to this shooting. APNU has been consistently urging the Guyana Police Force to train its members; we have seen cases like the shooting of Damien Belgrave, Shaquille Grant, not forgetting the Linden incident,” Felix said, adding that action needs to be taken.
Felix criticized the silence of the police force on the shooting and calls on its head to come out and say something to the public.
“They should have at least come out with a statement condemning what happened. The shooting was wrong and there is no reason why the policeman shot him (Alex Griffith). He (Cadet Officer) wasn’t chasing a thief,” Felix stressed.
Asked what the process of the investigations would have been like had he been in charge, Felix explained that the launching of an investigation would have been the first thing.
“The cop should then be placed under close arrest. Secondly, you get a medical examination, and then you interview the teen in the presence of his mother because he is 15 years old,” APNU’s Member of Parliament said.
He went on to explain that after interviewing the victim, the GPF needs to come out with a statement condemning what had happened.
According to the former commissioner, the investigation process should not take more than a week since everything relating to the case “is right there”.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer is asking the public to have a little patience. According to the officer, there is no delay in the investigation relating to the cop who shot the teen in his mouth. There is a process that has to be followed.
The protesters opposite the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday.
“Once a police officer is involved, the procedure dictates that the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is obtained,” the officer said.
He added that ranks had to wait three days after the incident to interview the victim because he couldn’t speak.
“He is the main witness. We would be happy to get this out of our hands and into the court but there is a procedure that has to be followed,” the police source said.
In an effort to get the police to speed up their investigation process, a demonstration was held in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday.
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