Police opened fire when they felt threatened
A flurry of bricks and bottles thrown by a crowd of demonstrators as they ran from the John Fernandes wharf onto Water Street, forced the police to open fire on June 18 last.. But the use of the shotguns by the Police during the Guyana Public Service pay strike, "was not aimed to injure anyone. And when the instruction to open fire was given, it was as "per training exercise" and after much consideration as to the use of the mode of defence - fire or tear smoke, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gordon Gilhuy's told the Commission of Inquiry yesterday. Gilhuys, testifying on behalf of the Police about an incident involving the shooting of strikers on Water Street by the Police, said the decision to " open fire" was made because it was considered that a larger part of the Stabroek area,with consumers and hucksters, would have been affected by tear gas. Led in his evidence by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Denis Hanomansingh, Gilhuys, who functions as Court Superintendent and is attached to the Brickdam Police Station, recalled that at about 15:35 hours on the day, on instructions from Assistant Commissioner Henry Greene, he left in command of a riot unit for the John Fernandes wharf, Water Street, to disperse a crowd of striking workers. The riot units left in two vehicles and found on their arrival that there were about 150 persons, consisting of men and women, in front of the northern gate of the wharf used by pedestrians and vehicular traffic. They were blocking the path of vehicles and impeding the work of staff. The units stayed in their vehicles, some distance north of the crowd, and Gilhuys said he went and spoke with a security officer of the company, who said while they were open for business the action of the demonstrators hindered progress. Gilhuys said when the crowd saw the Police they became more agitated and boisterous in their chants of "we ent moving", "we ent going no way", "they got to kill we today" and "we gat foh dead". The witness said he nevertheless pleaded with the crowd for about five minutes to desist from blocking the wharf and to go about their lawful business, but they behaved even worse and their chants were now "we ent going no f------place", "no vehicle ent passing heh", "we gat foh dead", "we will have to be martyrs", "no vehicle ent going in no place", "this fight is foh you too". Realising that his pleas went unheeded, Gilhuys said he returned to the units, ordered them to disembark, get into formation and advance to the northern gate. He also told the Commission that prior to the arrival of his men, other police ranks were on duty at the scene, under the supervision of Assistant Superintendents Massiah and Nazbar. Gilhuys said he then instructed the officers to effect arrest on members of the crowd while the riot unit gave support. But they failed in the effort, as those whom the police held fought and resisted until they set themselves free or held firmly onto the metal bars of the gate. Members of the crowd also formed a human barricade in front of the gate and Gilhuys said to counter this move, he asked the security chief to open the gate so as to allow vehicles to pass through. But as the unit, which by then was about five feet from the gate, began closing in, some of the women in the crowd which by then had grown to about 250, threw themselves to the ground and in the path of the vehicles. Others had buckets of water and sponges and as efforts to remove them were unsuccessful, Gilhuys said he re-ordered the gates be closed. Gilhuys kept looking to see whether someone from a political party or union was leading the crowd, but he did not until after the gate was closed. He then saw Dr Anwar Hussein among a group of about 25 persons who had moved forward to sandwich the Police. They were all dancing and chanting in a chorus "we gat foh dead, we are martyrs, we en't moving, no vehicle en't passing." The witness said at that stage he felt his men were in danger, so he withdrew his ranks further north, leaving the demonstrators to continue their chanting. Responding to a query from the Judge about the mood of the crowd, he said it was "ugly" and a "dangerous situation". About 1550 hours, a back-up unit from the Tactical Services Unit (TSU), commanded by ASP Griffith, arrived on the scene and they discussed how to deal with the situation. Noting that the ranks on duty comprised three sections - baton, rifle and tearsmoke- Gilhuys said Officers Massiah and Nazar advanced their ranks to effect arrest, while the remainder supported. The move caused the crowd to run away and as they did so they pelted bricks and bottles. One of the missiles injured ASP George Vyphius. Gilhuys told the Commission that after the crowd ran away he noticed that the southern side of the J.P. Santos building was burning. There was a continuous flow of missiles and Gilhuys said he realised that the situation was becoming even more dangerous, so he used a hand communication apparatus to seek permission to "go into action and defend his unit." About that time a fire tender arrived on the scene and the vehicle too was attacked by the crowd, resulting in the windscreen being smashed and the firefighters being injured. Gilhuys said having gotten permission to "go into action", he instructed ranks to "change formation and open fire as per training". Responding to Justice Singh as to why he decided to open fire as opposed to the use of tearsmoke, the Police officer said it was because he realised the demonstrators were prepared for any eventuality, that is they were armed with water and sponges. "The crowd was prepared to neutralise the effects of the tear gas," he added. Gilhuys said that while ranks with rifles were on the scene, he decided against the use of that weapon, which is lethal, and to use shotguns instead with little,fine pellets. After the situation was brought under control, Gilhuys said the TSU ranks remained on the scene while his unit left for patrols around the City. Asked by Justice Singh whether he received reports or read in the news of persons being injured, Gilhuys said "No", he did not. While at the John Fernandes wharf, Gilhuys assisted in ferrying Customs Officer Khalil, who was being threatened by the crowd, to safety. Counsel for the Commission declined to cross-examine the witness. Others witnesses who testified yesterday in the matter of the police shooting incident were Sergeant Linden Alves of TSU who received injuries to his left hand. He said that a Constable Walcott and Lance Corporal Davis were also injured. Detective Sergeant William Pitt of Brickdam Police station, who was deployed to check the Georgetown Hospital for persons seeking medical attention, said on arrival he was told 18 men and women had been injured. The witness said he was also told that because of the strike they had left for another institution and he found them at Woodlands Hospital on Carmichael Street. The injured persons were aggressive and refused to give their names. Evidence was also taken from Deputy Superintendent Steven Jarvis and Detective Sergeant Lloyd Fraser, as it relates to the June 3, Customs Boathouse incident. The Inquiry continues tomorrow with the commission looking into incidents at Bhena's Footwear and Sears on Regent Street and Reeaz Trading, Camp Street.
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