Police Constable under close arrest after Sergeant dies during manhunt for prison escapee

A shooting incident on Tuesday resulted in the death of 53-year-old Police Sergeant Alex Vaughn.

Police Headquarters on Wednesday said that based on preliminary information, Vaughn was “unintentionally fatally wounded” by his colleague, a Police Constable.

According to reports, Vaughn was part of the joint services operation in pursuit of Akeem Wong, the prison escapee and the main suspect in the double murder of 49-year-old David Gomes and his 75-year-old mother Elizabeth Gomes at Saxacalli last Friday.

The News Room understands that Vaughn and a team of joint service officers were dispatched to Karrau Village, Region Seven following reports that Wong was sighted there.

The Police Constable arrived sometime after 17:00 hrs on a tractor as part of a backup team. The News Room further understands that the Constable claims that his weapon was accidentally fired as he disembarked the tractor, shooting Vaughn.

According to Police Headquarters, the Commissioner of Police (ag.) has since ordered a probe which is currently ongoing by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and supervised by the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority.

Wong escaped from the Mazaruni Prison in Region Seven, on February 14. He was serving a 15-year-sentence for rape. He is the main suspect in the brutal murder of David and Elizabeth; David and his mother were brutally chopped to death between 17:00 hrs and 20:00 hrs on March 08.

At the time, the mother and son were visiting their vacation home in Saxacalli. They were accompanied by David’s six-year-old son who witnessed the heinous crime.

Following the ordeal, the child related that he took his father’s phone and sent a voice note to one of his father’s friends.