(Guyana Chronicle) – The Guyana Police Force wishes to advise that about 19:40hrs on March 6, 2020, police ranks whilst performing duty on the Cotton Tree Public Road, West Coast Berbice came under attack by protesters which resulted in several ranks being hospitalised and their attacker dead.
Enquiries revealed that shortly before the attack, a Gazetted Officer and ranks cleared the said road of protesters and debris, leaving Sergeant Ibaran with several ranks to maintain free passage along the corridor.
The ranks were then attacked by a group of men armed with cutlasses, wood, iron , etc. and were forced to discharge their weapons into the air to disperse the very hostile and aggressive crowd.
After expending their ammunition, the ranks including Sergeant Ibaran , Corporal Williams, Constable Grant, and Constable Fraser were forced to seek refuge in nearby yards and during that process, it was alleged that one of the protesters who was later identified as Seedat’ Devon’ Hansraj , 18 years ,unemployed of Back Street Cotton Tree Village , WCB, chopped Sgt Ibaran and Constable Fraser and as he was attempting to deal the latter another chop, was shot once by one of two ranks who arrived at the scene and witnessed their colleagues being attacked and wounded.
Sewdat Hansraj and the injured ranks ( Sergeant Ibaran and Constable Fraser)and also Constable Grant who was reportedly assaulted by protesters were rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where Hansraj was pronounced dead on arrival whilst the ranks received medical attention and admitted; their conditions are considered stable.
A further update will follow.