Guyana Police Force and lawyers present conflicting stories of Orrin Boston's death
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) Thursday denied suggestions that a man shot and killed yesterday by lawmen during an anti-crime operation on Wednesday “was an act of murder,” insisting that “a thorough, impartial and professional investigation” will be conducted.
“The Guyana Police Force is assuring the relatives of Orrin Boston, and the general public, that the Police Force has no desire to “conceal the true sequence of events” as stated in the family’s lawyers statement, but on the contrary will be conducting a thorough, impartial and professional investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Orin Boston,” the police said in a statement.
In a lengthy statement on Wednesday, attorneys Konyo Sandiford and Nigel Hughes, who are representing the family of the deceased, said “several heavily armed policemen” had entered Boston’s home “without a warrant while his family was asleep in the bedrooms of their home”.
They said that the armed police officers first encountered Boston’s daughter, who they removed from the house, informing her that they wanted her father.
“Three armed officers then kicked open the bedroom door where Junior Orin Boston was lying in bed next to his wife unarmed. The armed policemen then shot Mr Boston while he was lying in bed with his wife. His wife who was lying next to him though she would have been shot next.”
The lawyers said that as a result of the gunshot wound inflicted on Boston, “the pillow and the bedsheet upon which he was lying were soiled with his blood”.
They said that after shooting Boston, the police officers removed his body from his bedroom and placed him on a concrete surface outside of the building.
“The police officers then left him there and returned to the house where they then searched his home, stating that they were looking for his identification documents. After the search was concluded, the police officers placed the body of Mr Boston in a vehicle and took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”
The lawyers said that the police left behind “the bloodied pillow and bed sheet which confirm the position of Mr Boston at the time of the shooting” and that later in the day before any interview was conducted with the witnesses to the shooting or any of the persons who were present, the police issued a press release “contending that there was a confrontation between Mr. Boston and officers of the Guyana Police Force.
“The immediate adoption of a hostile position by the Guyana Police Force by attributing to Mr. Boston acts of aggression which are contradicted by both the eyewitnesses and the independent evidence discloses patent defensiveness and desire to conceal the true sequence of events.
“This rush to judgment by the Guyana Police Force immediately discloses the inherent biases and predisposition which would render an independent investigation almost impossible,” the lawyers said, noting that the family is demanding “an independent investigation into his murder by independent professional investigators with the appropriate contemporary forensic equipment and training.
“The Press statement of the Guyana Police Force issued without any attempt to secure any statements from the eyewitnesses has irreparably damaged the confidence which is necessary for the conduct of a credible investigation,” they added.
But the GPF said that despite the statement put out by the lawyers regarding Boston’s death in Dartmouth, Essequibo, it is “refuting the premature and irresponsible allegation made that this was an act of murder and that there have been a “rush to judgment” and “the immediate adoption of a hostile position” by the Police Force given the Police Press Statement issued.
“The Press Statement made earlier yesterday (Wednesday) by the Guyana Police Force concerning the incident was issued following a debrief of the ranks who were involved in the anti-crime operation during which it occurred,” the statement said.
It said that the acting Commissioner of Police, Nigel Hoppie, “however, clearly stated during his Press Conference Wednesday afternoon that the wife of the deceased has contradicted the unfolding of events as carried by the police and this will form part of the investigation being conducted into the matter by the Police Office of Professional Responsibility.
“She has since stated the investigating ranks. The issues of concern raised by the attorneys will be dealt with in the ongoing investigations. However, some aspects have already been discussed with relatives. Blood samples have also been uplifted at the scene and the bloodied bed sheet taken into custody by Police Crime Scene ranks,” the police statement added.
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