Investigations are continuing into Monday's shooting death of Detective Sergeant Harry Kooseram as he rode to work with all possible leads being examined in an effort to apprehend his assailant.

Kooseram, 37, of 149 First Street, Bladen Hall, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was shot six times by a lone gunman shortly after 6:30 am as he rode to the nearby Vigilance Police Station where he was stationed.

Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent David Ramnarine said that from all appearances Kooseram was shot with a small arms weapon, which would be confirmed by an autopsy on the deceased cop.

The post-mortem examination is to be performed on the body of the murdered policeman today. His funeral is being planned for Friday.

Meanwhile, a statement from Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj, yesterday, while condemning the brutal murder of the policeman, said it appeared that there was an organised attempt by persons to physically and otherwise hurt ranks to demoralise them and break their spirit and collective will.

But Gajraj stated that instead of dampening spirits, the acts had engendered a high sense of unity along with greater commitment to duty for which the force needed to be commended. He extended condolences to the family and relatives of the dead officer from the government.

Reports from the ECD village indicate that the assailant, after fatally wounding the detective sergeant, proceeded south along the Bladen Hall village roadway before turning east into Second Street, Strathspey where he came to a dead end. It was after this that he retraced his steps and headed west along Second Street, Bladen Hall, which leads into the neighbouring village of Friendship.

It was also revealed that the man who wore a knitted hat and peach-coloured top, had been sitting on a roadside stand where three other men were awaiting transportation, reading a newspaper, while apparently awaiting the emergence of Kooseram.

After noticing the policeman, the man was said to have folded the newspaper and left the stand. Once close to the officer, he reportedly pulled the gun from his waist firing repeatedly in his direction.

As Kooseram was shot, he was said to have staggered a few yards while attempting to wipe the blood from the front of his shirt. After dismounting his cycle, he collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile, traffic was proceeding steadily and without disruption on the ECD roadway yesterday as police retained a quiet but conspicuous eye on proceedings. During the procession for slain Buxtonian Shaka Blair on Monday, mourners clashed with police and chaos ensued. Several persons were shot with pellets and one with bullets by the police, tear gas fired and the road dug up by mourners.

Officers were less visible in the Buxton village than on previous days and persons in the Buxton community could be seen going about their daily chores.

And a press release from the Guyana Defence Force yesterday stated that Chief of Staff, Brigadier Michael Atherly, who is also Chairman of the Joint Services Coordinating Council opined that a "coordinated and pluralistic strategy" needed to be endorsed by all stakeholders in civil society. Atherly made the statement in reviewing the recent spate of crimes which he said "seem to be inter-related".

He stated that the GDF remained committed to fulfilling its role in support of the civil authority in the maintenance of law and order and said that a restoration of normality to the area must include the return of the free flow of traffic on the old Railway Embankment which has been severely restricted since the recent outbreak of violence in the ECD village. The embankment road had been dug up by residents of the area after the police shot Blair dead in his home.

The army chief in the statement also praised members of the Guyana Police Force for the professional and efficient manner in which they were able to get the crowd under control without a further escalation of violence.

He said that the tactical conduct of the police operations conformed to "the principles of minimum force and restraint necessary under the prevailing conditions". This, he said, helped to defuse a potentially explosive situation.