Acting Top Cop says Kingston seawall shooting justifiable

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The damaged unmarked police vehicle

Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine, this morning told reporters that he believes the Kingston Seawall shooting was justifiable.

File Photo: Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine

He said that the Police were fired at and acted within the law when they returned fire killing the three suspected bandits.

Ramanarine’s remarks comes on the heels of reports surrounding the criminal background of the one of the suspected bandits killed by officers.

Just recently, Crime Chief Paul Williams told this publication that he did not furnish the Guyana Police Force public relations department with information that Kwame Assanah, who was shot and killed, had a criminal background.

A police press statement had disclosed that Kwame Assanah and Errol Adams were previously arrested in connection with several offences and Dextroy Cordis was recently granted bail on a simple larceny charge with regards to ‘trunking’.

Williams, like the acting Top Cop however, asserted that the officers were justified in their actions of taking down Assanah, 46-year-old Cordis also known as Dutty, of Grove, East Bank Demerara, and 57-year-old Adams also known as Dynamite of Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast and Buxton, East Coast Demerara during an alleged exchange of gunfire with police.

The vehicle used by the alleged bandits

According to the police press statement on the killings, at around 10:30hrs on Thursday last, on Robb Street, ranks of an anti-crime patrol unit, in an unmarked vehicle, acting on intelligence information, began following another motorcar that two “suspicious looking characters” were reportedly travelling in.

As the ranks continued to observe, the suspected criminals led them [police] to the Kingston Seawall where an individual who had reportedly left a city bank, had parked his motorcar.

At that time, the law enforcement officials who were on the stakeout noticed the two individuals- later identified as Cordis and Assanah, exiting their motorcar and approaching the customer’s vehicle.

One of the men was reportedly armed with a gun.

“At the same time the police anti-crime patrol, which by now was in close proximity called out to the suspicious looking characters but the one who was armed discharged several rounds at the police who returned fire,” police explained in a statement.

As such, the reported exchange of gunfire resulted in the two men being killed.

The firearm, ammo and other items found in vehicle used by the suspected bandits

Police then detailed that seconds after that initial exchange of gunshots, another pair of males were observed on a CG motorcycle in close proximity to the motorcar in which the deceased men were travelling in.

One of the two persons on the motorcycle reportedly discharged several rounds at the police who again returned fire.

This second exchange resulted in the third person, Adams, being mortally wounded. He subsequently died.

His accomplice reportedly sped away on the motorcycle.

At the scene, a 9mm Pistol along with a magazine containing seven live rounds and four spent shells were found next to Cordis’ body.

The motorcar which was driven by the now deceased Assanah was searched and police found one driver’s licence, ten passports belonging to the deceased and his family members, a key used by “trunkers”, two handcuff keys, a bandana and clothing.

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