Relatives claim police intimidation By Samantha Alleyne
Stabroek News
March 18, 2003

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The relatives of Yohance Douglas, who was shot and killed by police on March 1, have complained about armed policemen regularly passing by their home.

They say these activities have deeply affected the mother of the slain youth and his siblings.

Also Caroline Thomas, the mother of Ronson Grey, who was shot in the mouth during the same incident has said that policemen had been passing her home although not in recent days.

Contacted yesterday police public relations officer, Assistant Superintendent David Ramnarine told Stabroek News that he was not aware of any such police actions and as such could not comment on the issue.

A relative of Douglas, who was laid to rest last Monday, informed Stabroek News that around 10:00 am yesterday about ten uniformed and armed policemen passed their home and parked about two houses away under a tree.

The relative said that a 15-year-old girl who was on their verandah at the time became terrified when one of the policemen asked what she was looking at them for.

“This is so insensitive; I don’t understand why they have to this to us. My mother became so upset and started crying and behaving hysterical...” the relative said.

He said that the police officers were wearing black bullet-proof vests.

The relative said that after Douglas’ mother started weeping in the sight of the law enforcement officers, they left the area.

He said that prior to yesterday’s incident there were other incidents when armed police officers would drive past the home slowly and look in.

The last such incident prior to yesterday was the Saturday before Yohance was buried.

The relative said the officers, one of whom they recognised as being a member of the ‘Black Clothes’ squad, drove past the house and stopped just a few yards away. One of the officers came out of the vehicle and appeared to dust his shoes on the grass before they drove away.

On that same day Grey’s mother recalled seeing policemen slowly driving by her home.

“They pass and look in and even after they passed they were looking back...” She said at that time she was on her steps when she observed the police officers. She said she could remember that on about three occasions armed police officers had driven past the home slowly while they looked in. She said one day they drove past her home two times in the same manner.

The woman said she was agitated and had told PNCR leader, Robert Corbin.

The PNCR spoke about the police’s actions at their last press conference.

The woman said that every time she saw the policemen driving by she would begin to get flashes of seeing her son being shot by the officers. “It so disgusting, they just keep bringing back these memories even though I was not there, I keep seeing them shooting my son.”

But she said that if the officers were in some way trying to scare her and her family they would not succeed and she vowed to go all the way in seeking justice for her son.

Meanwhile, Gray celebrated his 19th birthday last Saturday and was allowed to leave the hospital for the weekend.

The family kept a thanksgiving ceremony at their home for the injured youth, who because of his injuries cannot speak. His mother said that he returned to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday morning.

“He did not even want to go back to the hospital, all his friends visited him and so on...” his mother said.

She said her son was so afraid of law enforcement officers that he said he would be content if he fully recovered and moved on with his life. “Myself and him were communicating [Ronson writes to communicate] and he indicated that he just wants to go on with his life and get well and that he would not even care if the officers are charged or not...” the woman said.

She said that the youth was scared that the police might one day barge into their home and injure him and the family.

“But we will continue to pray for faith and that everything will be alright,” his mother said.

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