Almost a week after the Guyana Police Force indicated that it has wrapped up the probes into the fatal shooting of Police Sergeant Alex Vaughn as well as the shooting of another Police Sergeant last month, the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Tuesday said, it has not received the police files.
On March 28, Director of the Guyana Police Force’s Corporate Communications Department, Mark Ramotar said that both files will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers on that day for legal advice.
Enquiries on Tuesday revealed that the files never arrived at the DPP’s Chambers.
The News Room understands that there is a channel through which case make its way before action is taken. For this reason, the files could be elsewhere but no one could confirm.
In incidents involving ranks of the police force, when the police investigation is completed, the file is sent to the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) – the body responsible for investigating complains/incidents involving police ranks after which it is sent to DPP Chambers for legal advice.
Sergeant Vaughn was shot and killed by one of his colleagues– a Police Constable on March 12 at Karrau, Region Seven.
Vaughn, who was the officer-in-charge of the Saxacalli Police Outpost in Region Seven was part of a joint services operation pursuing now dead prison escapee, Akeem Wong.
Reports reaching the News Room indicate that the Police Constable arrived at the area on a tractor as part of a backup team. Upon arrival, the Constable claimed that his weapon was accidentally fired as he disembarked the tractor, fatally wounding Vaughn.
The constable was placed under close arrest pending the outcome of the investigation.
Meanwhile, on March 11, five police officers – a Sergeant, a Corporal, a Lance Corporal and two Constables – opened fire at a Police Sergeant’s car.
The incident occurred at Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.
Police Headquarters said the Sergeant Ronald Payne was driving home from work in his dark-coloured Toyota Rumion at around 22:10 hrs when he was stopped by the ranks, who opened fire in the air and ordered him to stop.
“The Special Branch ranks were at the time assisting Regional Division #3 ranks in the investigation of an alleged robbery/murder, and they were looking for a dark-coloured Toyota Rumion car that the suspects had used as a getaway vehicle,” a police report had detailed.
Sergeant Payne, who was unaware that the ranks were Special Branch operatives, became terrified and drove to the Providence Police Station.
The ranks also went to the Providence Police Station and they too were subsequently placed under close arrest.
