Political party, A New and United Guyana has issued a call for Coroner’s inquests to be conducted into the four latest police shooting deaths which occurred in the past two months.
In documents released over the weekend, the party wrote to the Chief Magistrate seeking Coroner’s inquests into the Police shooting death of David Smith and Quacy Jupiter on the 2nd October at the University of Guyana Access Road.
In a statement at the time, the Police claimed that the two men were shot dead by Police ranks during an armed confrontation. The two were wanted for the robbery and murder of Festival City youth, Joshua Denny.
The Chief Magistrate is also being asked to conduct a Coroner’s inquest into the shooting death of 16-year-old Sydel Bourne at the Stabroek Market area by a plainclothes police officer.
The youth had reportedly attempted to snatch jewellery from around the neck of the officer’s wife and was shot in the back as he attempted to escape.
A New and United Guyana has also written to Magistrate Esther Sam who is presiding over the Essequibo District, asking that she conducts a coroner’s inquest into the Police shooting death of Orin Boston in his home at Dartmouth on the Essequibo Coast on the 15th September.
The businessman was unarmed and in his bed when he was killed by a member of the SWAT unit during a search of his house, that unearthed nothing illegal.
Two months after that shooting death, the investigation is still ongoing.
ANUG said its request for the coroner’s inquests to be conducted in the four deaths, is rooted in its interest to promote the rule of law including adherence to statutory requirements to promote transparency and fight corruption and abuse of power.
The move by ANUG requesting that a Coroner’s inquest be conducted into the four recent Police shooting deaths follows a recent decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions to recommend a Coroner’s inquest into the police shooting death of Kitty resident Peter Headley while in the custody of the Police in May this year.
The recommendation for the inquest by the DPP came almost five months after the man’s death.
A Coroner’s inquest is a judicial inquiry that is held to determine the cause of a person’s death.
During the process, a sitting magistrate who acts as the coroner would impanel a jury to conduct the inquest. The inquest could lead to charges.
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