Guyana Chronicle
June 12, 2001

POLICE yesterday thwarted an attempt by a small band of Agricola, East Bank Demerara residents protesting the killing of Sean Hope by cops Saturday, from taking their demonstration to the city.

Controversial TV `talk show' host, Mark Benschop, who was among the group, was also arrested at the scene.

Police said he was detained and was likely to be charged.

The residents, expressing anger at the fatal shooting of Hope, alias `Seabu', said they wanted to take their protest to the Guyana Human Rights Association in Georgetown but were being prevented from doing so by the Police.

They were stopped at the McDoom bridge at about 14:30 hrs and ordered to return to their homes.

In an attempt to be allowed to continue their journey, the some 20 protesters told officers they were simply walking to the city since they could not afford to take a bus.

However, they were told to discard the placards, go home for some "nice handbags" and go to the city in a civilised manner.

The Riot Squad cops and other officers at the scene were more than the protesters, among whom were Hope's reputed wife, Lalictia Matthews and one of her two children.

The young woman began crying when the Police intervened.

She and other protesters said Benschop was only trying to assist them in staging a peaceful protest and were guiding them in this regard.

Another protester said Benschop told them to remain in `threes' and not to make too much noise.

They said they had no intention of causing trouble but wanted to protest "Hope's murder".

The protesters staged a demonstration on the East Bank Access Road the day before stating that they wanted strict action against the Police for allegedly committing the act in the presence of children.

Police said Hope died after he was shot at Agricola while ranks were trying to arrest him at about 13:30 hrs Saturday.

"The Police party was conducting searches for members of a gang involved in robberies and incidents which resulted in the death of a Policeman (Friday night", the statement said.

It added that during the confrontation with Hope, a Policeman was injured about the body.

Police said they were investigating that incident.

Police Saturday launched a manhunt following the death of a constable shot in the abdomen while trying to disarm a detainee who had pulled a gun from his crotch inside the Sparendaam Police Station, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is Constable 17650 Eloye Adridge, 33, of Golden Grove also on the East Coast Demerara.

He was shot Saturday morning when the detainee pushed his hand into his crotch and pulled out a pistol, Police said in a statement.

Adridge was shot in the abdomen in the attack as he tried to disarm the man and died about five hours after despite emergency surgery at the Georgetown Hospital.

Police said the constable and other ranks were manning a routine roadblock outside the Sparendaam Station when, at about 00:40 hrs they stopped motor car HA 8868 which had five occupants, including the driver.

The driver and another man were taken into the enquiries office in the station where a body-search was being carried out on them, Police said.

It was during this process that the man pushed his hand into his crotch and pulled out a pistol.

The man was subsequently subdued by other members of the Force who were in the station and he and the driver detained while the shot cop was rushed to hospital.

However, the other three in the car fled, leaving the vehicle behind, and Police later launched an intensive hunt for them.

Later Saturday afternoon, Colin Cumberbatch, also known as `Sadist', 29, of 31, Gordon Street, Kitty, Georgetown, died after he was shot by Police at his home.

Relatives said Police turned up at the house looking for Cumberbatch, a father of two and a mini-bus conductor.

Police said he died in a confrontation with cops who were looking for him in connection with a series of armed robberies on persons and hire cars, particularly in the Kitty/Campbellville area.

Police said they found a .38 revolver with three live rounds, a holster, two rounds 9 mm, eight rounds .22 and eight rounds .38 ammunition along with a quantity of crack cocaine at the place.