Youth shot and killed by police
Stabroek News
January 29, 2003
An 18-year-old South Ruimveldt resident was killed by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) at the corners of Brickdam and Stabroek last night.
Errol Immanuel died on the spot after sustaining two shots in his temple when police opened fire on him. Contacted last night the GPF Public Relations Department had no information on the incident which occurred at around 8 pm.
According to reports, Immanuel along with a friend were sitting just outside St Andrews Kirk when a vanload of policemen confronted him. The young man according to several persons who said they were eyewitnesses immediately raised his hands in the air but despite this one of the police officers went up to him and fired two shots. Immanuel fell to the ground.
Stabroek News understands that the other man who was sitting with him was then arrested by the police and tied to a fence. He was subsequently released after police reinforcements arrived on the scene.
A huge crowd converged around the dead man’s body. The police however later covered him with a salt bag. For over 45 minutes no one turned up to identify the young man’s body. However, his sister and a cousin later arrived on the scene and loud wailing followed. The man’s relatives were too distraught to speak to this newspaper last night.
One man said even if Immanuel was wanted by the police for something, they had enough time to apprehend him since he surrendered.
“Why they had to shoot the youth man, dis country dred yeh rude boy, this thing ain’t going to stop.”
Immanuel was known around the Stabroek Market area and according to reports he worked with some vendors and also touted for mini-buses. (Nigel Williams)
