A number of groups have condemned the fatal shooting of University of Guyana student Yohance Douglas and the wounding of his colleagues Ronson Grey and O’Neil King on Saturday when a police patrol opened fire on a group of young men in a car at the corner of Sheriff and Bonasika streets, Georgetown.
The University of Guyana is calling for a thorough investigation into the tragic event in which architecture student Douglas was fatally shot and Grey, a second year International Relations student at the same university, was seriously injured, in addition to King who was shot in the right hand.
UG stated yesterday in a release: “We call for a thorough investigation of this sad event, an expeditious conclusion of the investigation, and an immediate reform of the modus operandi of the Guyana Police Force. The safety of our children and the future of our nation demand no less.”
The police at a press conference on Sunday promised a speedy inquiry into the matter and said that a high-level probe team is expected to produce a report in a week. Two of the policemen involved in the shootings have since been assigned desk duties pending the outcome of the probe.
While expressing deep regret and sadness at the tragedy, the university also stated that it was supporting the call by its student body for an independent inquiry.
The university, in extending condolences to the family and friends of Douglas, asked that its students grieve the loss of their colleague in a manner befitting one who was widely respected. UG also expressed wishes for the speedy recovery of Grey and King.
The statement from the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor said that while the university community supports the enforcement of law and order, the deteriorating national security situation, including the wanton use of excessive and indiscriminate force, is a matter of great concern to the institution.
“The attack on the five youths who were in the course of normal and honourable activities and the resulting murder represent a further decline in our national life,” the release added.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Bar Association disclosed yesterday that it has written to the United Nations Resident Representative in Guyana requesting the urgent intervention of a United Nations Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary and arbitrary executions to visit here on a fact finding mission to investigate the following:
(a) The circumstances surrounding the violent death of Yohance Douglas.
(b) The operational rules of engagement of the Guyana Police Force for the arrest and detention of persons.
(c) The conditions of detention of arrested persons.
(d) The circumstances surrounding the deaths of persons who have died as a result of the use of deadly force by officers in the Guyana Police Force.
(e) The increase in all forms of violence in Guyana.
Citing its justification for such a step, a GBA release yesterday said that previous interventions with the Guyana Police Force and the Police Complaints Authority have led the body to the “firm conclusion that the capacity of either institution to conduct independent, fair and or satisfactory investigations into allegations of abuse against serving members of the Force is severely challenged.”
According to the GBA, it has interviewed witnesses to the incident and the preliminary investigations have revealed that “the use of deadly force by members of the Guyana Police Force was without lawful justification”
The release said the GBA was reiterating its call for an independent inquiry into the operations of the Police as it held the opinion that unless such an inquiry is urgently convened, “the operations of the Guyana Police Force may continue to suffer from significant erosion of public confidence.”
The Bar Association also contended that a strong professional Police Force which is subject to independent scrutiny and which operates under the rule of law will regain the confidence of the general public.
And the Working People’s Alliance has repeated its call for a public inquiry into the Guyana Police Force and the disbandment of the Black Clothes squad in whatever guise it now operates, in light of the “murder” of Douglas, the “maiming” of Grey, and assault of three other youths on Saturday.
The Party in a release yesterday stated that it also wants “so-called policing elements recently created by the State and operating in our country” to be dissolved.
The WPA also pledged “in the name of all (those) murdered on behalf of the State,” that all existing and would-be extra-judicial executioners of the State will face justice and the rule of law whether in national, regional, or international courts of law whenever political and civil stability returns to Guyana.
The release stated that the WPA shared the grief and pain of the University of Guyana Students Society and urged them to “hold fast in their demands for an independent investigation and the naming of all individuals involved in the public shootings.”
The WPA also lamented that when the best of Guyana’s youth do all that is expected of them, by studying, working hard, playing games and developing all-round skills and interests, in addition to avoiding criminal activity, it seems that they can still be “executed and maimed by the very security forces that are there to protect them.”
The African Cultural & Development Association yesterday, referring to Saturday’s tragic incident, called for “charges of murder to be brought against those responsible for this heinous crime” and declared “we will accept nothing less.”
Meanwhile, Education Minister Dr Henry Jeffrey and Presidential Adviser Odinga Lumumba are both supporting the call by University of Guyana students for an independent and timely inquiry into the shooting incident.
Dr Jeffrey in an invited comment to Stabroek News said that he was very disturbed given the reports he had heard about the incident and would support the students’ call for an independent and timely investigation into the incident. But he could not support their decision to boycott classes (as they did yesterday) explaining that they should await the outcome of the investigation before deciding on what action they should take.
Dr Jeffrey added that the Police Complaints Authority should be strengthened and should have its own investigative unit. He said this would be one of the recommendations that could come from an inquiry into the Police Force which as he understood it the government had already agreed to set up once the format had been settled with the opposition parties. Lumumba in his comments to this newspaper said that the twin issues of training and management in the Police Force must be faced squarely. He said that based on reports of the incident it was clear that the police officers involved were not properly supervised. As a consequence he said that reform of the Police Force must be speeded up.
Lumumba said that since the incident he had spoken with President Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Sam Hinds and they had assured him that the investigation being mounted by the Police would be properly conducted and if there was evidence of criminal negligence those concerned would be prosecuted.
Lumumba added that the government should sit down with the families of the four youths to ensure that their rights were protected as well as to ensure that the youths and their relatives receive psychological counselling. He said if the investigation proved that the Police were criminally responsible for the death of Douglas and the injuries to Grey and King, then the Attorney-General should sit with the families to address the question of compensation.
Lumumba said one of the resulting reforms arising from the incident should be the establishment of a mechanism, which the public perceived to be just and in which they had confidence that justice would be done in cases where police action resulted in death or injury.
The other recommendation he would like to see implemented was for sociologists and psychologists to work with the police especially at a time when police officers were being targeted and there was a wave of violent crime. He said while not excusing the behaviour of the police officers involved in the incident, he noted the intense pressure under which the Police are working under at this time.
Since February last year some 20 policemen have been killed by criminals.
Lumumba noted the involvement of the UG students explaining that he hoped they continued to play a part in determining which direction society was to take.
Also adding its voice to the concern was the Holy Spirit Catholic Church which sent an open letter to President Jagdeo expressing deep concern over Douglas’ death and appealing to him to take action against the perpetrators of the shooting and to weed out those members of the police force with a propensity to criminal violence.