The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has been instructed to conduct a thorough probe into the shooting incident at Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Friday, last, between a plain-clothes Police rank and 23-year-old Quindon Bacchus during which the latter was shot and killed.
The file will be sent to the PCA on Monday for a “thorough investigation” of the incident, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said in a statement this evening. The rank, who the Police Force is yet to identify, has since been placed under close arrest.
Police officers at around 14:30 hrs on Friday went to Haslington New Scheme, ECD where they saw Bacchus, 23, a father of one, with a firearm.
The ranks were at the time carrying out an intelligence-led operation in the area, based on information received earlier in the day.
The ranks had made contact with a 22-year-old construction worker who provided certain information. As a result of the information, the construction worker led the ranks to Bacchus who was in possession of a firearm and intended to sell it to one of the ranks.
The plain-clothes rank, who was armed, made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus, who left and then returned with the firearm.
In the process of handing over the firearm to the rank, an alarm was raised. As a result, the now deceased man ran in a southern direction and discharged a round in the rank’s direction. The rank then drew his service pistol and returned fire.
Bacchus then ran further south and jumped into a yard, and the rank gave chase and while in close proximity, Bacchus discharged several other rounds towards the rank who took cover and returned fire, hitting the now deceased man about his body.
He fell to the ground along with the firearm which was later identified as a .380 pistol and a magazine with one round. The said rank took possession of the firearm and ammunition.
Bacchus was picked up in a conscious state and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he died while receiving treatment.
His body was taken to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting post mortem examination. The firearm and ammunition that was recovered was taken to the Cove and John Police Station, ECD where it was photographed and dusted for fingerprints.
The construction worker was arrested and taken to the Cove and John Police Station where he was interviewed. A written statement was taken as to what had transpired.
