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FM
Former Member

Linden fatal shooting… BALLISTICS TESTS SHOW PELLETS ARE NOT THOSE USED BY GPF

 

Written by Michel Outridge

Thursday, 02 August 2012 21:30

Source - Guyana Chronicle

 

DEPUTY Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement), Mr. Seelall Persaud, yesterday said the shotgun pellets that caused the deaths of Lindeners on July 18 during a protest over the hike in electricity tariffs are not “police issued” pellets, since members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) do not use that type of cartridge.

 

Mr. Seelall Persaud

The police are still checking to ascertain where those pellets came from.


He revealed that the Police Ballistics Department completed the ballistics tests on Tuesday, and reiterated that the GPF does not use such “heavy cartridges”.


The police have since checked for gunpowder residue on the weapons that were issued to ranks on duty in Linden at that time.


He explained that it is difficult to say from which particular shotgun the pellets were fired,  but from the cartridges used, it is easier to distinguish the type of  weapon that was used in that incident.


After some delay, the ballistics testing of the metal fragments recovered from the bodies of the three Linden protestors who were shot and killed in the mining community on July 18 during a stand-off with law men were handed over to the police following the post-mortem examinations a week ago.


The Alliance For Change (AFC) last week managed to secure the services of Trinidadian pathologist Professor Hubert Daisley, who witnessed the post-mortem examinations on the bodies of the Lindeners Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset.


The autopsies were conducted by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh.


The post-mortems revealed that the men were all shot through the heart with “bronze-capped” lead bullets.


The trio was part of a protest exercise in which hundreds took to the streets, more than a week ago, in protest of the increased tariffs for electricity in Linden.


However, following the announcement of Alliance For Change (AFC) executive member Mr. Nigel Hughes last Friday, disclosing that that party had successfully secured the services of a United Kingdom-based forensic expert to visit Guyana to assist with the ballistics testing of the metal fragments recovered from the bodies of the three dead Linden protestors, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement), Mr. Seelall Persaud, disclosed that he is not aware of any instructions or requests for that service.


On Friday last, Hughes told the media that the AFC had secured the services of a UK-based forensic expert who is willing to help with the ballistics testing of the metal fragments recovered from the bodies of the three dead Linden protesters.


He said the expert, Dr. Mark Robinson, was willing to observe the ballistics tests spearheaded by the GPF, and to conduct his own. He also said that the AFC had since written acting Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell, seeking his permission for Dr. Robinson’s involvement, and is awaiting Brumell’s response.


Hughes added that the forensic expert was expected to be in Guyana at the earliest opportunity.

 

Last Updated on Thursday, 02 August 2012 21:32

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The ballistic tests only show that the ammunition was not the same as the one that is officially used by the GPF. It does not prove that it was not used by the GPF. The PPP regime instructed its hitmen to use a different kind of ammunition so that the blame could be levelled against opposition parties. It is a well trodden tactic by the PPP. Just look at how Fineman was hired by the PPP to kill PPP voters and pin the blame on the PNC.

Mr.T
A shotgun is a big gun. I thought the bullets came from pistols, now I hear they from shotguns. Are these bullets or shotgun pellets? The whole story sounds confusing to me.
TI

Linden protestors…Shooters identified – Crime Chief

AUGUST 3, 2012 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

-but AFC still wants viewing by UK ballistics expert

 “We know who was armed with shotguns and we have statements from those who discharged rounds…”
-Crime Chief Seelall Persaud

By Michael Jordan

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud said yesterday that the policemen who shot and killed three Linden protesters have been identified.
But Persaud declined to say if anyone had ordered the ranks to shoot, stressing that the police investigation is still ongoing and that a Commission of Inquiry is also to be held to ascertain who is culpable.
Yesterday was tentatively identified as the deadline for the completion of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Independent Commission of Inquiry.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud

 

“Shotguns (were used),” the Crime Chief said, while asked to verify a Kaieteur News story which quoted police sources as stating that copper-coated shotgun pellets were extracted from the slain men.
“We know who was armed with shotguns and we have statements from those who discharged rounds.”
Persaud has said that only four shotgun cartridges were missing from the ammunition that police ranks took to the scene.
An official said earlier this week that the Force’s ballistics team has shotgun casings that were allegedly retrieved from the scene of the protest. By comparing the casings with those fired from the shotguns, investigators should be able to ascertain who shot the protesters.
But top police sources said that up to yesterday, investigators were still to hand over all of the shotguns for testing. A source said that one shotgun was tested, but the firing pin and other markings did not match those on the cartridges that were found.
Crime Chief Persaud’s disclosure is unlikely to quell allegations that at least one police rank, who had a partly-concealed handgun, shot at the protesters.
The Alliance For Change (AFC) in particular has expressed a lack of confidence in the police being able to conduct an impartial investigation into the tragedy.
Yesterday, AFC Executive Member Nigel Hughes accused the police of attempting to stymie the party’s attempts to bring United Kingdom’s Dr. David Robinson, to view the police ballistics tests.
Hughes stated that an application was sent on Monday to the Commissioner of Police requesting Dr. Robinson’s participation in this aspect of the investigation.
However, Hughes said that he was told that the UK expert has to get a work permit and that the police are requesting a photocopy of his passport.
“I think this is an attempt to delay his arrival or frustrate it. A work permit takes three or four weeks (to acquire).”
Hughes has said that the AFC has ‘significant evidence’ relating to the Linden killings, which the party intends to release to international agencies in order to protect the eyewitnesses.
Asked yesterday if government was willing to expedite the process for a work permit for the UK expert, a senior Government official told Kaieteur News that Guyana has its own ballistics expert.
According to the government official, the local ballistics expert “has been resorted to on numerous occasions, and has given testimony to the satisfaction of stakeholders.”
The official also said that he is unaware if a decision has been made about the UK expert.
“The pathologist (Trinidadian Professor Hubert Daisley) came, but he came and observed, and with him coming and observing, this opens the door for the ballistics expert to come,” the official said.
Professor Daisley had viewed the autopsy after receiving a request from the AFC. His pronouncement that metal fragments that appeared to be from bronze-tipped bullets were extracted from the victims had added fuel to reports that a police rank carrying a handgun had fired into the crowd.
The Crime Chief’s disclosure came two days after police issued a release refuting a Kaieteur News story which stated that the Force’s ballistics experts had viewed the ‘fragments’ under a microscope and concluded that they were shotgun pellets.
The official said that the experts explained that the pellets bent out of shape on impact, and this could have caused them to be mistaken for bullet fragments.  The source said that similar copper-coated pellets were extracted from some of the other wounded protesters.
A police official told Kaieteur News that the ‘fragments’ from the dead men were placed in sealed containers. According to the official, after viewing the autopsies, the Trinidadian forensic pathologist affixed his signature to the seals before the containers were handed over to the police.
Some police sources are asking why their colleagues were using the copper-coated cartridges, which are far more lethal than cartridges loaded with ‘birdshot’.
They explained that the ‘birdshot’ cartridges could just as effectively dispersed the unarmed gathering.
It is believed that the ranks were standing about 15 feet from the protesters when they opened fire directly at them.
The sources also suggested that the ranks should have aimed at the ground and that the controversial water cannon should have been deployed to Linden before, rather than after the protests had escalated.

Mars



quote:
Asked yesterday if government was willing to expedite the process for a work permit for the UK expert, a senior Government official told Kaieteur News that Guyana has its own ballistics expert.




 

Yes, he can pinpoint anyone with big seeds very expertly!

TI
Originally Posted by TI:
A shotgun is a big gun. I thought the bullets came from pistols, now I hear they from shotguns. Are these bullets or shotgun pellets? The whole story sounds confusing to me.

You can get copper clad lead bullets for shotguns.

Mr.T
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by God:

Linden protestors…Shooters identified – Crime Chief

AUGUST 3, 2012 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

-but AFC still wants viewing by UK ballistics expert

 “We know who was armed with shotguns and we have statements from those who discharged rounds…”
-Crime Chief Seelall Persaud

By Michael Jordan

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud said yesterday that the policemen who shot and killed three Linden protesters have been identified.
But Persaud declined to say if anyone had ordered the ranks to shoot, stressing that the police investigation is still ongoing and that a Commission of Inquiry is also to be held to ascertain who is culpable.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud

 

the police.
Some police sources are asking why their colleagues were using the copper-coated cartridges, which are far more lethal than cartridges loaded with ‘birdshot’.

Why are these PPP morons pretending that the GPF wasnt involved when even the GPF is saying that they knew who did it.

 

The plot actualy thickens.  Are these policemen who shot phantoms, operating outside of the GPF command structure?

FM
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by God:

Linden protestors…Shooters identified – Crime Chief

AUGUST 3, 2012 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

-but AFC still wants viewing by UK ballistics expert

 “We know who was armed with shotguns and we have statements from those who discharged rounds…”
-Crime Chief Seelall Persaud

By Michael Jordan

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud said yesterday that the policemen who shot and killed three Linden protesters have been identified.
But Persaud declined to say if anyone had ordered the ranks to shoot, stressing that the police investigation is still ongoing and that a Commission of Inquiry is also to be held to ascertain who is culpable.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud

 

the police.
Some police sources are asking why their colleagues were using the copper-coated cartridges, which are far more lethal than cartridges loaded with ‘birdshot’.

Why are these PPP morons pretending that the GPF wasnt involved when even the GPF is saying that they knew who did it.

 

The plot actualy thickens.  Are these policemen who shot phantoms, operating outside of the GPF command structure?

This dry coconut idiotr is now also an expert on Ballistics. Tomorrow he will be an expert on Financial Transactions and so on. PRICK!!!

Nehru
Originally Posted by Nehru:
 

 


 

 

This dry coconut idiotr is now also an expert on Ballistics. Tomorrow he will be an expert on Financial Transactions and so on. PRICK!!!


Clearly you are babbling incoherently to youself because even the GPF admit that the shooter(s) were policemen and other police men want to know why they were using non GPF weapons.

FM

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