Cop slain at Buxton had service revolver on him at time of death
Relatives believe he knew assailant
Stabroek News
August 29, 2002
Relatives of the late detective constable Feroze Bashir, who was shot dead on Tuesday, said yesterday that he was at the time armed with his service revolver but did not use the weapon because he might have known the man who ended his life.
His paramour's father later lodged the gun at the Vigilance Police Station.
Family members yesterday said that they were told by someone who witnessed the shooting that the man who killed Bashir was known to him since he was seen speaking to the person in the area before. The eyewitness opined that Bashir might not have expected the man to shoot him.
Earlier Bashir's paramour, 16-year-old Anitra Summer who resides at Lot 110 Sideline Dam, Buxton had said that she did not know the man who killed Bashir and had never seen him before.
She said that at around 6:05 pm on Tuesday Bashir pulled up at her gate with his 250 Honda motorcycle. She said she went out to him and they were standing there when a man approached Bashir and said "leh me get something," referring to money. She said Bashir responded that he was "bruks" (without money) and an argument ensued between them. She had told this newspaper that as they argued the man reached down to his waist and whipped out a gun telling Bashir, "you don't have [money then] tek dis." She said the man fired two shots at Bashir, one hitting him in his throat and exiting through his neck and another one to one of his wrists.
Summer's father Leon Summer arrived sometime after and took Bashir to the hospital.
Marian Rahaman, Bashir's adoptive mother said Anitra told her that Bashir was still alive when he was lifted off the road. She said that the girl's father who took Bashir to the hospital had informed his daughter that while being transported to the hospital, Bashir was praying, asking God for forgiveness.
Rahaman said that years ago Bashir used to attend church with her, but stopped doing so after he joined the Guyana Police Force (GPF). She said that she had urged him on many occasions to return to church but he would only ask her to pray for him when she was going. She described him as a party man and one who loved ladies.
According to her, when Bashir first met Anitra he faced opposition from her parents. But she said that since the girl became pregnant for him her parents began to protest less. Anitra is seven months pregnant.
Rahaman also said that apart from the many death threats her son had received, after the death of deputy head of the Customs Anti- Narcotic Unit, Vibert Inniss last Saturday in Buxton, Bashir had received a threat that he was going to be the next policeman to die.
She said he had also informed her that after the death of wanted man Compton Cambridge, who was killed at his girlfriend's home in Nabaclis, someone had sent a list to a police station on the East Coast with the names of police officers who the bandits were targeting.
Meanwhile, at Bashir's Lot 122 Melanie Damishana home yesterday, two other young ladies lay claim to Bashir's heart. One from Industry, who gave her name as Colette, said she had been with Bashir for over two years and had borne him a child, eight-month-old Felicia. She and her daughter were consoling Rahaman when another young woman, this time from St Lucia, arrived.
On seeing the child the St Lucian inquired whose it was and when told it was Bashir's exclaimed: "Oh my God, he always telling me he didn't have a child."
However, before long, the St Lucian was engrossed with the child and the two former rivals compared notes on Bashir.
Colette said she knew Bashir was cheating on her and only stuck with him because of the child. She also told Stabroek News that Anitra had been her friend and she was very surprised when she struck up a relationship with her boyfriend. Colette said that apart from the three of them Bashir had other young ladies.
Bashir was on leave when he was killed.
He was first an officer at Sparendaam Police Station before he was transferred to Cove and John. However, since he had begun receiving threats he was transferred to Eve Leary where he was stationed at the time of his passing. Yesterday, officers from the Police Welfare Department visited Bashir's family and indicated their willingness to assist with funeral arrangements.