Knock on door was answered by machine-gun fire - Merai
Stabroek News
June 4, 2002
"My name is Stephen Merai. I am 45 years old. And I am a Senior Superintendent of Police attached to the Anti-Crime Task Force, stationed at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.
"During the month of February 2000, I was stationed at the Anti-Crime Task Force. Relative to the deaths of Linden London, called `Blackie,' and Rhonda Forde, I assisted in the investigation."
So began the testimony of Senior Superintendent Merai as the Coroners' Inquest into the deaths of Linden London and Rhonda Forde continued yesterday. Merai, who is the first police witness, was proceeded by five other witnesses, including two serving army officers and one retiree - Captain David Clarke, Captain Fitzroy Warde and retired Captain Wycliffe McAllister. Merai continued the chronicling of the joint forces' 11-hour siege at the Toucan Suites Guest House on February 8-9, 2000, which ended with London's surrender and death.
February 8: "At about 2000 hrs, myself and a party of policemen, including the late superintendent Leon Fraser, left our base for the Toucan Suites Guest House, having received information that Linden London had entered an apartment at the guest house. I was armed with an M-70 rifle and 30 rounds of 7.62 ammunition. On arrival at the scene, myself, Fraser, Constable Abraham and then Constable Sobers, entered the yard through a western gate. I proceeded to rap on the door of the apartment, which was situated to the southwest of the building on the ground floor. The door to the apartment was facing north.
"As I rapped on the door, Fraser, Sobers and Abraham took up a position along the western wall of the apartment. My rap on the door was met by heavy machine-gun fire from inside the apartment."
"How did you know it was machine-gun fire?," the Coroner interrupted.
"They were rapid bursts of fire, indicating a weapon of heavy calibre and the louder sounds were distinctive from that made by a handgun.
"Myself, Fraser, Abraham and Sobers, quickly ran out of the yard and took cover along the concrete fence to the west of the apartment. Within a minute, a hand grenade was thrown from the apartment, to our direction. It landed between the concrete fence and the western fence of the apartment. There was a loud explosion. I then called to Linden London, telling him that we were policemen and that he must give himself up. He then replied by firing heavy machine-gun fire in our direction. We then replied in the same manner.
"The shooting continued on both sides for about an hour. At that stage, myself, Sergeant Smith and Corporal Vaughn crawled along the western fence, and then towards the northern fence. As the shooting continued, we climbed over the northern wall of the building and entered a veranda, which was on the northwestern corner of the building. From the veranda, I could have seen the doorway leading to apartment where London was holed-up. I observed a wooden stairway connecting the veranda where I was, leading to the ground floor in front of the doorway.
"As the shooting continued, I observed the door to London's apartment fly open and I observed a woman being pushed out of the apartment followed by heavy machine-gun fire from within the apartment, at her. The door slammed shut. The woman fell to the ground screaming and she began to crawl towards the western gate."
According to Merai, what followed was a continued exchange between London and police forces. This exchange included London repeatedly using tear-smoke grenades and in the intermittent period, in what Merai described as a `bid to escape,' London would open the door and would fire several rounds in the direction of ranks at the western fence and Merai's party on the roof.
"Somewhere about here, there was an attempt to rescue the injured woman. The ranks on the western side, they ran inside and attempted to pull her out of the yard."
"Who were those men?"
"Fraser, Abraham and Sobers."
"She was five feet from the western gate, so they ran through the gate and tried to pull her out, but their attempt was aborted due to the heavy gunfire from London."
The inquest will continue on June 17.