Speedy investigation into killing of student
GEORGETOWN – Prime Minister Sam Hinds has assured that there will be “a speedy and thorough” investigation into the circumstances of the shooting death of a student of the University of Guyana (UG) by an anti-crime police patrol in Georgetown last weekend.
The student, Yohance Douglas, was killed and his UG colleague, Ronson Gray hospitalised with a gunshot wound to the jaw when the police intercepted the vehicle in which they were travelling home from a basketball match on the basis of reports that the group of youth in the car were armed suspects.
Hundreds of students, joined by lecturers of the university and relatives and friends of the slain and wounded students, participated in a march of protest from the UG Turkeyen Campus on the East Coast into the city to meet with the Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj and make their demands for “justice” to be done.
But the minister was not in office at the time and a group of the protesting students camped in the compound shouting “Gajraj must go”.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the Guyana Bar Association met with Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald to urge an independent probe and an end to police abuse of powers.
The shooting tragedy was expected to be discussed at yesterday’s weekly cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Hinds who is acting as president with head of state president, Bharrat Jagdeo on official business in Washington.