Killings of wanted men in the past by the police
have resulted in tit-for-tat
attacks on policemen with fatal consequences. On
Saturday, also in Buxton, the Deputy Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics
Unit, Vibert Inniss was shot dead in his car by
gunmen as he waited to buy newspapers.
When this newspaper visited Buxton last evening the scene was
quiet as if nothing had happened. Residents who live nearby to
the shooting scene had already closed their doors and were
viewing the proceedings from their windows. Stabroek News
understands that the young officer was shot thrice just around
6:45 pm and died on his way to the Georgetown Public Hospital
Corporation (GHPC) where he was pronounced dead.
Bashir's paramour, Anitra Summer who is seven months pregnant
for him, said that Bashir had paid her a visit and she was
standing in front of her bridge while he sat on the scooter. She
said that they stood for a short while and suddenly a man whom
she had not seen before approached Bashir and said "leh me
get something", referring to money. She said Bashir
responded by telling the man he was "bruks"(without
money) and an argument ensued between them. She related that as
they argued the man reached down to his waist and whipped out a gun
telling Bashir, "You don't have (money
then) tek dis". She said the man fired off
two rounds at him, one hitting him in his throat and exiting
through his neck and another to one of his wrists. The assailant
then fled. The young man fell to the ground and was left in the
middle of the road until Summer's father, Leon Summer, arrived
home and saw the mortally wounded man on the road. When Stabroek
News spoke to Leon Summer last evening the man said that all
that he knew was that when he returned home last night he saw a
man lying in front of his gate on the road. He said when he
looked at the body he realised that it was Bashir. The man said
he immediately lifted him from off the ground and took him to
the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
When Stabroek News visited the slain cop's home in Melanie his
mother, Marian Rahaman who had adopted him since he was
nine years old said that she was at the time speaking to a
neighbour when the sad news was broken to her. She
said that Bashir had received several death threats over the
past months and even though she had warned him to be careful he
always told her that he was going to die in the line of duty.
"De always threatening him, two boys always threatening
him. This week a friend come and tell he that they goh lick he
off he bike."
She continued that she was very fearful for his life and advised
him to migrate to Brazil. "But he said me nah frighten, if
me bin frighten ah would a gan some way but ah gat to die in the
line of duty," Rahaman said. According to her, fear for his
life became more intense after the bandits started to kill
police officers. "Ah sey boy deh killing police and deh
threaten you, you have to do something but he continued to say
that he was not afraid," Rahaman recounted.
Rahaman recalled that yesterday morning the young man who is on
vacation leave went to Georgetown and later returned during the
afternoon, had his supper and left the house. She related that
while Bashir was eating, a nearby resident, whose son is also a
police officer was over at her and she was telling her about the
many threats he had also been receiving from time to time. She
said after having his supper Bashir rode off with his cycle but
she did not know where he was heading. She said shortly after he
left Anitra called for him and she told her that he had gone
out. "She asked whether he was coming by she and I said no,
because I did not know where he was going." But this was
not to be, the young man ended up at the young woman's home and
at around 6:50 pm Rahaman said Anitra called to inform her that
he was shot several times by a man and that her father had taken
him to the hospital.
Rahaman, who broke down several times as she spoke about Bashir,
said that he was always helpful and friendly. She told this
newspaper that it was only on Sunday that a young man who was
passing through the area threatened to kill him.
Bashir became a member of the Guyana Police Force when he was 18
years old and had been there for a little over two years now.
His death followed those of eight other police officers since
April and following the February 23 jailbreak.
Senior Superintendent Leon Fraser was
killed on April 1 at Yarrowkabra on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway
and Detective Sergeant Harry Kooseram
was shot dead on April 15 while on his way to work at the
Vigilance Police Station. On May 25,
Sherwin Alleyne along with three policemen were shot
while on patrol duties at Coldingen, East Coast Dermerara.
Alleyne later succumbed at the GHPC. On May 30, Rural
Constable Andy Atwell was killed when bandits attacked
the Alberttown Police Station. On June 14, ranks of the Target
Special Squad came under fire in front of the Wismar Police
Station and constable Rawle Thomas
was shot. He also succumbed two days later at the GHPC. On July
11 Detective Corporal, Adrian London
was shot dead execution style on Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge.
In that same month on July 21, constables
Outar Kissoon and Ramphal Pardat were shot and killed
after gunmen lay siege to the Rose
Hall Police Outpost.
Two other law enforcement officers, prison officer Troy
Williams and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit Deputy
Head Innis were also
killed. Williams was killed on February 23 when the five
escapees made a bloody escape from the Camp Street jail. And on
August 24 Innis was shot and killed on the Buxton Public Road.
