[www.inewsguyana.com] – Close to thirty persons including toddlers and pensioners were forced to seek refuge on George and Leopold Street on Sunday evening (November 17) as the police search their homes for gunmen who had earlier escaped from the police following a high speed chase. However, one of the bandits was shot and was still under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Investigators are working on the theory that the men were the same group of gunmen, who have been committing a series of robberies on the East Coast of Demerara.
iNews was informed that the men might have robbed three different locations on Saturday night and one on Sunday night. They were apparently making their way to their safe haven when they encountered the police.
As a result of a slight prison unrest on Sunday night, the police and army had a heavy presence in the Werk-en Rust area as they monitored the developments at the prison.
The robbers however were so busy committing their acts on the East Coast of Demerara that they were unaware of what was happening in the city and the increased police and army presence.
After committing the robberies, the gunmen were driving through a city street and spotted a police patrol, where they opened fire at the ranks.
The ranks returned fire and there was a high speed chase through several city streets.
The chase led the bandits down Bent Street with the police hot in pursuit. As the car, a dark colored 212 approached George and Bent Streets, the driver lost control while attempting to turn South into George Street and ended up slamming into a house.
The impact brought down a concrete pole which was used to offer support for a veranda.
Eyewitnesses related that the three gunmen exited the car and while two made good their escape, one of the men turned around and began firing in the direction of the police with a high powered riffle.
iNews understands that at no time were the men hiding in the house as was being thought by the police who had the house on lock down and forced those who occupied it, on the streets.
It was reported that the police discharged several rounds behind the bandits as they fled and which caused some amount of damage to the already old wooden building, which is being occupied by more than thirty people.
