Final shots had been preceded by explosion from Toucan Suites
By Andre Haynes
Stabroek News
July 10, 2002
A Detective Senior Superintendent of Police on Monday testified that there had been an explosion of gunshots from the Toucan Suites where Linden London was holed up shortly before the wanted man was fired at as he exited the building.
London died from the injuries sustained in the final act of the 11-hour siege by the Joint Services on February 8-9, 2000, at the Toucan Suites Guest House, Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
Detective Senior Superintendent Philbert Adams, stationed at that time at ‘A’ Division at Brickdam Police Station, was the Officer-in-Charge of Crime, who arrived at the scene shortly after receiving information about the situation at Eccles.
Arriving around midnight, Adams said on reaching within twenty yards north of the Guest House he heard shots emanating from within, and being fired at the building, forcing him to take cover by lying in a drain on the eastern side of the access road at Eccles. From here, he said, he continued to assess the situation.
At 2:45 a.m., the Officer recalled, he had seen movements with soldiers and police going towards the building then there was a heavy exchange of gunfire coming from and towards the building.
He said he then observed their immediate withdrawal. Then about five minutes later, he said, there was another burst of gunfire towards the building and the same men ran towards the building and picked up some persons and ran out.
Following this scene, an injured man and another person were each placed in separate vehicles which sped off. He would later learn that the man was Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Private Harvey while the woman’s identity would remain unknown.
Later at 3:20 a.m. there was another burst, Adams said, this time coming from within the building from different calibre weapons, “some were automatic, some were shotguns, some were like pistols.” Assuring the coroner of his training in the use and firing of weapons, Adams testified that it was at this point that he and a party of police officers and GDF soldiers crept up to the building, “... and we called for London, ‘Blackie,’ asking him who was in the building. He said he and three others, he did not give names.”
They stayed in their positions at the outer western fence of the building until 5 a.m. and at 5.45 a.m., he said, he left his position behind the fence and went for some coffee at the Eccles Public Road. Returning to the scene shortly after, he positioned himself in the yard of the house opposite the Guest House where he saw members of the GDF set up the 82 mm recoilless gun which they fired at the building four times but to no avail.
“I saw dust, I saw smoke and I saw fire,” Adams said, explaining to the Coroner that shortly after the failure of employing the recoilless gun, the building began to blaze as a fire from within had begun to spread.
Reclaiming his position at the western fence of the building, Adams’ testimony shifted its focus to GDF Captain, Wycliffe McAllister, who he said, had a video camera at a hole which the army had cut into the western side of the fence.
McAllister gave the camera to a private and went to the entrance of the apartment, Adams testified, where he called for London.
“Blackie said he wanted to hear somebody he knew...then McAllister said “I trained you,” but London wasn’t too sure and apparently he said he wanted to hear somebody’s voice who he knew.
“Blackie called some names and asked for a ‘Fook Fook.’ A soldier came forward and said he was ‘Fook Fook’ and they talked but London wasn’t satisfied.”
After deciding he (McAllister) would enter the building, Adams said he advised the GDF Captain to go unarmed since the scene could quickly develop into a hostage situation and London would have acquired another weapon.
Coroner: “Did you think the situation was safe for him to go unarmed?”
Adams: “I thought the situation was better for McAllister to go without his weapon.”
Coroner: “But did you think the situation was safe for him to go unarmed?”
Adams: “I wouldn’t go.”
Coroner: “I didn’t ask you that, I asked you whether you thought the situation was dangerous when you advised him to go without his weapon?”
Adams: “Yes, it was dangerous. But he would have been in less danger without a weapon. He gave the pistol to another soldier and he went half way into the sitting room and he shouted for London to come out.”
However, according to Adams, the heat generated by the fire raging in the building forced the Captain’s retreat, at which time he ran out and went to one of the soldiers from whom he collected an M-70 rifle and repositioned himself on the outside of the western fence.
After a few minutes, Adams said, something was thrown from within the building onto the area where McAllister had been positioned, then, "I heard one of the ranks saying he is coming out.
"I left from where I was and went to the access road to see what is going on, and at the same time, just in case of anything...
"While going there was a rapid explosion of gunshots from within the building and at the same time gunshots started coming from all angles. I plunged to safety on the middle of the road."
"Did you see where the gunshots were coming from?," the Corner asked.
Adams shakes his head indicating the negative.
"...Because at that time you were concentrating on yourself: plunging to safety?"
Following this episode, Adams said he heard someone shout hold your fire. "It took about two minutes before anybody start moving again."
London was picked up by two officers, brought onto the road and placed in a police vehicle which sped away to the hospital, Adams concluded.
He added that following the extinguishing of the fire by the Guyana Fire Service, he and other officers checked the building but failed to find any other person, but a quantity of firearms and ammunition were found, including two 12-gauge shotguns, one AK-47 assault rifle, one 9mm browning pistol, a Taurus .386 pistol, one sterling sub-machine gun and grenades.
Adams also noted that the GDF recovered eight rifles and shotguns as well as eight concussion grenades from the spot where London had fallen following the incident, saying they had been abandoned when the Private had been shot.
Under cross-examination by the Coroner, Adams told the jurors that London did not die when he fell from the gunfire, but he was in an unconscious state. He added he had felt especially sad considering he had worked with London's brother in the police force.
"From what you said there was an explosion of gunfire coming from within the building and there was gunfire coming from outside..."
"The explosion must have come from the burning, there was ammunition all around, I suspect it was that."
"From your training when you heard the explosion from within, would you start to shoot in such a situation. Would you have ordered your men to shoot?"
"I would have ordered the men to take evasive action."”
"When you heard the explosion from within did it warrant the response it got? If you were in a position to order the men, what would your reaction have been?"
"Duck! Duck and save yourself. Duck and assess the situation."”
"Do you have any idea why they shot?"”
"I suspect it's because of the gunfire they heard from within the building."
"But you said it was an explosion and you would have ordered the men to duck."
During the jurors' examination of Adams, he was asked how he felt as an officer, knowing that London came out of the building with his hands in the air and was shot down. Adams strongly contended he had never seen London surrender and he suggested London had emerged from the building because the fire had chased him out.
Finally, during a re-examination by the Coroner, Adams admitted that while he did not see London surrender, that did not mean London had not surrendered.
The Inquest which is being heard before Magistrate Melissa Robertson, acting as the Corner, and a five-member jury will continue on July 22 at 13:30 hrs.