The 11-hour police and army stand-off with 'Blackie'
What the people say
Between February 8 and 9, the police and army faced one of the biggest gunfights this country has ever experienced with Linden 'Blackie' London, Guyana's most wanted man, who was cornered on Tuesday night at the Toucan Guest House, Eccles. When the dust settled 'Blackie' and a young woman, Rhonda Forde were dead; a multi-million dollar building destroyed and citizens traumatised. This week the man/woman-in-the-street share their views about the incident. It must be noted that this newspaper found that although persons were more than willing to express their views, they were reluctant to go on record for various reasons. The trend of their views was that London should not have been killed. Natalie Hinds - businesswoman: `If God can forgive man, why can man not forgive man? If he was a criminal he had a opportunity to kill many. He gave himself up and they killed him without giving him a chance. With regard to the owner of the guest house getting back his place, the business is open to anyone to come and it is not good business to check on everyone who comes to patronise. The owner should get back his place. I feel for 'Blackie', being the mother of three, because although he may have been a criminal he was a human being. He gave himself up and they should have let him live.' Ronald Clarke - engineer: `I think they should have captured him alive since in the future criminals would not take a chance to negotiate as they would tell themselves that they would be killed if they gave themselves up. The force should have brought him to justice because he gave himself up. Nobody likes the police now. They do not give you a chance to talk.' Boris Gardiner - private sector employee: `The police did a good job in encircling the building. However, once 'Blackie' had surrendered, they should have taken him into custody as there seems to be lot of evidence implicating him. With regard to the guns and ammunition that were found, I feel it came from the army or across the border. They should not have killed him as it was shown on the television that the army personnel were bringing him out alive.' Dane Smith - self-employed: `It is said that he robbed different places and committed murders. He had a shoot-out with the police. He should have been given a chance to be taken into custody. The police are shooting everybody. People do not have confidence in the police any more. Suppose there were five more like him? The situation would have gotten out of control.' Mark Ridley - private sector employee: `The police did their best in the situation but should have held him for the information on where he got the guns and ammunition, where the money was and who were the others with him. Burning down the building also endangered the other homes that were around. The big question is who is going to pay for all the damage done to the guest house and the surrounding homes that were caught in the crossfire.' Shaheed Shaw - huckster: `To know that a man was wanted and the soldiers and police were against him and the fact that he with all those sophisticated weapons still came out and surrendered with his hands up in the air... The big question is why shoot him? Now we will never know what happened to the money and who else was involved. Probably if he was left alive he would have talked. 'Blackie' died with a lot of secrets. One thing we will never know, too, is who shot him.'
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