Residents of Buxton were to have begun a 24-hour vigil last evening, which they plan to continue until the burial of Shaka Blair, who was shot and killed by the police at his home early Saturday morning, or until justice prevails.

At a press conference at the Neighbourhood Democratic Council's (NDC), yesterday afternoon, residents of the East Coast Demerara (ECD) village called for the immediate interdiction from duty of members of the Anti Crime Unit who were part of Saturday morning's shooting. They also called for an immediate and through investigation in the circumstances, which led to the death of 34-year-old, Shaka Blair, at the hands of the 'Black Clothes' police.

Blair was shot after members of the Anti Crime Unit descended on his Lot 42 Section 'B' Middle Walk Road, Buxton home and dragged him from his bed along with his wife and child.

Community worker, Kidackie Amsterdam, said yesterday that members of the community would seek audience with President Bharrat Jagdeo; Commissioner of Police (ag), Floyd McDonald; Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj; and Director of Public Prosecutions, Denis Hanomansingh to have their concerns addressed.

This apart, Amsterdam said, all legal means would be pursued to get to the bottom of the matter and if these were exhausted unsuccessfully they intended to approach bodies overseas including Amnesty International and the United Nations.

Clearly indicating that the press conference was not a political or publicity stunt, Amsterdam stated that villagers of Buxton were angry and concerned for their safety in the wake of what they considered was a brutal murder of a fellow villager.

He stressed that the struggle was directed at the police and not other residents of neighbouring communities. And village elder, Eusi Kwayana, threatened to withdraw from pursuing the matter if concerned persons and protest leaders did not publicly condemn assaults on innocent passersby and vehicles passing through the ECD village, including telling their supporters that they were not on.

Kwayana said in a statement that the assaults were abuses of human rights although they were below the level of murder and if condemnation of them was not forthcoming he would be forced to give his sympathy in private to relatives.

Meanwhile, Amsterdam said that the removal of the concerned officers from regular duties would be seen as a positive indication that the powers that be were dealing with the issue positively.

Dismissing the claims made by police in their statement on Blair's shooting, he called on them to make public the time, place and vehicle, which they claimed Blair hijacked.

Neighbourhood Democratic Council Chairman, Randolph Blair, who shared the head table read from a prepared statement. He said that the police after claiming that the fingerprints found on the vehicle belonged to wanted criminal and prison escapee Dale Moore changed their story and were now claiming that Blair's prints were found.

The statement also criticized the role of sections of the media, which it said were geared to provoke politically engendered hatred, supportive of politically engineered murders.

According to the prepared statement, the deceased was well known in the community as a small businessman playing a music set for entertainment and had even appeared in court at Vigilance on Holy Thursday to answer charges pertaining to a family dispute for which he was granted bail in the sum of $10,000.

The statement referred to the stories of 'Beast' a resident of Enmore who was allegedly found with an arsenal of weapons but still walked the streets of the of the country.

The chairman cautioned villagers not to be caught in what he called a trap intended to provoke racial tensions and retaliation urged them to show their commitment to fight crime even uniting to fight the scourge of criminals at all levels, in all forms -- even those in uniform -- as a way of laying claim to decency and the right to peace.

Teacher and Community Worker, Edris Chester, questioned the police claim that Shaka Blair was a wanted man when no wanted bulletin was issued for him.

Buxtonians, she declared, to cheers of residents who gathered at the NDC office, would go to the end of the earth to seek justice for Blair.

Media representatives were also reminded of the events of the fateful morning by Blair's sister Rudo and his reputed wife Simi 'Susan' Ragnauth who also stated that she had visited the offices of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) again yesterday to enquire about the post mortem.

She said that the police claimed that the post mortem could not have been performed yesterday because no report had been made to the district police station and a statement had not been given. She said she then indicated that she had already given a statement to the police at CID on Saturday when they escorted her to the hospital mortuary to identify her husband's body.

According to Ragnauth, she had also visited the offices of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd (GT&T), yesterday in order to obtain an itemized copy of all calls made from their telephone between Friday and Saturday afternoon but was unsuccessful. GT&T, she claimed, told her that she could not obtain such information unless she obtained a lawyer's letter since the telephone was in Blair's name.

She also said that it took eight minutes from the time the officers entered her home separated her from her husband, shot and took him away to the time she called her sister to relate the events, since the call registered on her caller's ID.

And responding to questions from the media as to the timeframe the village was given the authorities to signal their intentions to answer their requests, the NDC chairman said that was still to be worked out.

The villagers also challenged the hierarchy of the force to come to a public forum and disclose evidence against the deceased to substantiate their claims that he was a wanted criminal.

Meanwhile the village of Buxton remained peaceful yesterday. There was continuous police presence on the main public road, while residents stood guard at the roadblocks placed on the Embankment Road.