Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 11, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News
The Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the fiery deaths of 17 inmates of the Camp Street prison on March 3, 2016, has found that prisoners led by robbery suspect, Shaka McKenzie, created an unnecessary hostile environment.
Before the fire started, prisoners in Capital A were ordered to leave the division in batches of five with their belongings so that they could have been searched in the compound—this was after they had set a fire the day before, protesting the seizure of contraband items.
As they were being escorted, robbery suspect Collis Collison had to be subdued on the ground and bodily lifted, after he resisted to be searched. During this time, Shaka McKenzie, who was a Capital A prisoner, alerted other inmates in the division of what was taking place.
The COI report stated that he began to act uncontrollably, threatening to shoot the officers. Other prisoners in the block also became enraged by his inciting remarks. They then began throwing liquid substances on officers on the landing of the division.
According to the report, Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) Hudson began speaking with the prisoners trying to calm them down, but McKenzie was unresponsive, most vocal, abusive and threatening.
The prisoners in the dormitory began to charge towards the door with what appeared to be sharpened instruments. As a result of this, Hudson ordered another rank to lock the door before the prisoners rushed out.
At this point, the prisoners began to poke at the officers with long sharpened objects made from frames of the metal beds.
The inmates were also breaking the wall between Capital A and B. Because of the violent nature demonstrated by the prisoners in the Capital A block, the 64 inmates in Capital B were ordered to leave the division, but they refused.
After much persuasion, the prisoners from Capital B began to leave and it was at this point that a mattress was lit in the hole that was created in the wall and the fire quickly escalated.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS)’s Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Andrew Holder and Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle reported that the burning of the mattresses in such an enclosed area would create a situation that would cause a “Flash over” to occur.
“This would escalate the heat in that division up to 700-1000 degrees in a few minutes,” the report explained. It stated that before the Guyana Fire Service arrived, the “Flash over” had already occurred. This situation allowed the fire to get out of control in the shortest possible time.
Making matters worse were the abuse and attacks by prisoners on firemen and prison officers attempting to extinguish the fires lit by them and bring order to the riotous situation.
When the conflagration was brought under control, those confirmed dead were Jermaine Otto, Rayon Paddy, Sherwin Trotman, Anthony Primo, Shaka McKenzie, Kirk Clarke, Latchman Partap, Chaitram Dharamdat, Aaron Eastman, Andrew Philander, Randolph Marks, Rohan Teekaran, Hilary Amos, Ashraf Ali, Delroy Williams, Clifton Joseph and Richard Hubbard.
The COI was ordered by President David Granger and was recently made available to the media.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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