Family of youth shot dead by Police picket Special Branch headquarters

Bacchus was shot six times. Five of those shots were to his back while the remaining one was to the chest at close range, based on the post-mortem report.

Family of youth shot dead by Police picket Special Branch headquarters

With the Police Complaints Authority still investigating the Police shooting death of Golden Grove youth, Quindon Bacchus, family members are concerned about the slow pace of the probe.

Along with several villagers, some family members staged a protest this midday outside the headquarters of the Special Branch Unit of the Guyana Police Force.

An officer from the Special Branch has been identified as the shooter who took the life of the youth during a reported undercover operation.

Bacchus was shot six times. Five of those shots were to his back while the remaining one was to the chest at close range, based on the post-mortem report.

The youth is expected to be laid to rest this coming weekend.

During the protest today, the dead man’s mother Wonette Sandy said her son was murdered in cold blood and the Guyana Police Force needs to take criminal action against its rank that she believes went rogue.

“That is premeditated murder and we need justice for Quindon Bacchus”, the grieving mother told reporters.

She said she will continue to stand up for justice for her son and she is not satisfied with the investigations so far.   

“No, we are not satisfied as yet. We really need justice and they are not coming out to us and saying anything”, Sandy said.

Last week, the acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, traveled to the East Coast Demerara village where the young man lived and met with his mother and other relatives. The Police Commissioner promised an impartial probe. But relatives say they are concerned that the probe appears to be taking too long.

“The Police have all the evidence that the shooting was if we want to say personal, but it is not called for, it was uncalled for. My take on this is that even if a young man goes to sell you a gun and the information is given out we just don’t get it and we can’t believe it because they are other ways and means, I think that they could have dealt with the situation differently”, a relative said.  

Quindon Bacchus is remembered as a hardworking young man who was happy to be a father. Hours before he was shot dead, he reunited with his son who lives overseas. He had not seen the child since he was a baby.

“Quindon was such a peaceful happy child, we didn’t expect to lose him at this time, now knowing that his son is here this little child, he asks every day for Daddy, what his mother, what his grandparents are going to tell him. We feel very deep and we won’t stop until we get justice.”

The Police released two different versions of the events that led to the shooting death of Quindon Bacchus.  In the first statement, the Police claimed that officers patrolling the area noticed that he was acting suspiciously and as they approached him, he opened fire and they returned fatal shots.

DEAD: Quindon Bacchus

A second version from the Police later claimed that the young man was the target of an undercover operation after he was fingered in the sale of illegal guns.

The Police said during its operation, the man ran and opened fire and the police chased after him while returning fire, fatally striking him. CCTV Camera footage from the area showed one Policeman chasing and firing shots behind the youth as he ran from him.

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