City Constable fatally shoots mentally ill detainee

Marlon Fredricks when he was arrested on Saturday. 

Georgetown: A mentally ill 34 year old man who was arrested on Saturday by a City Constable was on Sunday fatally shot during an escape bid in front of the City Constabulary Regent Street office at Bourda, Georgetown.

Marlon Fredricks was shot and killed in the presence of his mother who had gone to the outpost to visit him.

On Saturday a constable stationed at City Constabulary headquarters, was on patrol when he saw the Fredricks who was wanted for questioning on King Street, Georgetown.

Upon recognising the constable, Fredrick who is also a vendor allegedly ran and the patrol vehicle gave chase and caught the vendor on Robb Street, where a scuffle ensued.

In the vicinity of Colours Boutique, the vendor tried to take away the constable’s 9mm pistol that was in his right side pants pocket.

As a result, the pistol discharged a round and minutes after police on patrol intervened and rendered assistance, subduing Fredricks. He was placed in constabulary custody.

“He was a mental case for a while now and was even in clinic but stopped going a while now. On Saturday when they were beating him he said since he was one year old people wanted to kill him and that he wanted to die,” one eyewitness said.

Chief Constable Foo confirmed that the incident occurred and that the Guyana Police Force has been called in to investigate the circumstances that led to the man’s demise. Foo said preliminary information received indicates that the man fled shortly after the lockup was opened.