GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Apr 8, CMC – Police Tuesday said that they had shot and killed one protestor as the Guyana authorities confirmed that they had asked the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS) to lead an “independent investigation” into the police shootings that have left two people dead over the past 24 hours.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that the protester, identified as Dan Johnson, was shot and killed after protests erupted in Linden, the second largest city in Guyana and capital of the Upper Demerara-Berbice region. over the fatal police shooting on Monday of 26-year-old Ronaldo Peters.
The GPF in its statement said that several officers were injured during escalating unrest in Linden and that officers “discharged rounds at the crowd in an effort to mitigate the situation where they were burning tyres and destroying government infrastructure”.
The police said that the were greeted with “missiles” and that “the rounds discharged at the protesters caused the demise of a protester”.
President Irfaan Ali has urged those protesting to “let good sense prevail” adding “do not be instigated to destroy public or private property and infrastructure.
“Such actions are both unhelpful and unlawful. As I have stated, an independent external probe is underway, and every aspect, including the actors, actions, and directives involved, will be thoroughly investigated,” Ali said.
“I’ve told the Commissioner that if there is need for external help to ensure the independence of the investigation that the RSS must be engaged and he is in the process of engaging the RSS,” Ali said, adding that he had also asked the police to carry out a “full and proper investigation”.
Earlier, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, had called on citizens “not to allow this unfortunate event to degenerate into lawlessness, or chaos.
“We must not lose sight of our responsibility to each other and our communities. Let us allow the due process of law to take its course, and refrain from actions which poses serious risks to public safety.
“While we acknowledge the right of citizens to express their grief and demand accountability, we appeal for this to be done in a lawful and constructive manner. The blocking of roads, lighting of tires, and other acts of disorder only serve to endanger lives and further escalate tensions in the community,” Benn added.
In a statement, the police said that Peters, who was wanted for rape that allegedly occurred between December 1, 2024 and January, 31 this year, was spotted near a bar on Monday evening.
“As a result, the Sergeant and party of ranks went to that location. The Sergeant was armed with a 9mm service pistol, and another rank was armed with a .38 service revolver.”
The police said Peters started to run and attempted to jump a fence, but that the Sergeant managed to pull him off the fence “and in the process of subduing him, his service pistol, which was his right hand, went off and Peters was hit”.
Peters was shot to the abdomen.
The Deputy Mayor of Linden, Dominque Blair, called “for a full, impartial, and transparent investigation,” into the circumstances surrounding the police shooting of Peters.
“A life has been lost under circumstances that must be thoroughly examined. I am therefore calling for a full, impartial, and transparent investigation into the events that led to this tragedy. The family, our community, and the public deserve nothing less.
“Trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve is vital. When that trust is broken, we must come together not only to seek justice but to ensure accountability and prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again.”
The Police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), which looks into the conduct of police officers, has taken up the case and the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) said it is deeply disturbed by “the excessive and fatal use of force in this incident”, adding It revealed “the brokenness in our security sector.”
“We emphasize our demand for greater accountability from the Government of Guyana. We call for improved training, better oversight, and a renewed commitment to human rights in the conduct of law enforcement in Guyana,” the PNCR said.
The Alliance for Change, another opposition party, also called for accountability, saying “ass Lindeners, as citizens, and as human beings, we are outraged” demanding a “transparent, independent” investigation.
In 2012, four persons were shot dead during a protest on the Mackenzie-Linden bridge against a planned steep increase in electricity tariffs.
CMC/gt/r/2025