Family of man killed by cop moves to police complaints body
Stabroek News
January 26, 2004
The family of Ryan Lyken-Kingston, who was fatally shot by police last November in Carmichael Street as a suspect in the break and enter and larceny of a nearby home, has taken their case to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).
Kingston's mother, Danielette Kingston, told Stabroek News that her husband recently visited authorities at the PCA where he gave a statement.
"Since Ryan died, the police never come and tell us nothing. When Gordon (Kingston's father) go to them, all they keep saying is that they investigating the matter. So (Mr. Kingston) went to the Police Complaints Authority," the woman said.
Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superinten-dent David Ramnarine, subsequently told this newspaper: "The investigations are completed. The file is now in the mainstream for legal advice."
Asked to expand, Ramnarine said that he could not say the file has been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) but intimated this was the next likely step.
Ramnarine noted that ranks of the Disciplined Forces are not charged in relation to allegations against them without the conduct of the relevant investigations.
Kingston, formerly of 3674 North Ruimveldt, was fatally shot by police ranks at the corner of Middle and Carmichael Streets around noon on November 19, 2003.
A Police Public Relations Office press release had said the shooting had occurred while ranks had been making inquiries into a report of a felony.
But eyewitnesses had said Kingston had been shot after he had dealt some punches to one of three men who had approached him and asked him to search the bag he had been carrying.
They said the men had been travelling in a white Toyota Corolla, PHH 6607, which had pulled up alongside Kingston who had been heading north along Carmichael Street at the time. According to the eyewitnesses, Kingston had been shot at least twice and it was only after a crowd had begun to gather that the shooter identified himself and the other men as ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force.
A post-mortem carried out on Kingston's body two days after the incident indicated that he had been shot at least three times.
Earlier, Mrs. Kingston had told this newspaper that a policeman had informed her that the items found in her dead son's bag included two jerseys and a bottle of coconut oil. She had also disclosed that her son had been suffering from a mental condition at the time of his death.
Aside from the press release sent by the police shortly after the shooting, no additional information on the progress of investigations into the circumstances surrounding Kingston's demise had been issued.
Mrs. Kingston has expressed disgust at the lack of communication by the police on the issue and said her family will continue to follow it up.