By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
BUXTON, EAST COAST DEMERARA — Nearly one week after a senior Police Inspector discharged his service weapon and critically wounded a civilian minibus driver during a heated traffic confrontation in Buxton, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has maintained total public silence on the status of its investigation.
Despite persistent inquiries from the press for an official preliminary bulletin, law enforcement leadership has released no public statement regarding the incident.
Public scrutiny surrounding the institutional silence is intensified by the rank’s profile within the hierarchy: the shooter, 46-year-old Police Inspector Sohan Ramdat, is not only attached to the Tactical Services Unit’s (TSU) Logistics Unit, but also serves as the sitting Chairman of the Guyana Police Association.
The Buxton Railway Embankment Shooting: Conflicting Accounts
The incident occurred at approximately 3:15 PM on Friday, September 4, 2026, along the Buxton Railway Embankment in the vicinity of Company Road, East Coast Demerara:
- The Victim’s Account: The victim, 48-year-old minibus driver Junior Garraway, alleges that during an altercation arising from congested traffic, Inspector Ramdat unholstered his service firearm and discharged multiple rounds directly toward him.
- Severe Gunshot Injuries: Garraway sustained penetrating gunshot wounds to his left leg and chest. He was rushed by public-spirited citizens to the Enmore Regional Hospital, where he remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
- The Inspector’s Defense: In statements provided to detectives, Inspector Ramdat offered a starkly conflicting version, claiming Garraway became disorderly, threw a brick at his private vehicle, and physically assaulted him. The Inspector alleged that Garraway advanced aggressively with his hand tucked into his waistband, leading him to fear the driver was armed.
- Firearm Discharge: Ramdat claimed he discharged two rounds in self-defense from his state-issued 9mm Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol.
Investigative Protocol, Missing Shells, and Close Arrest
Following the discharge, Inspector Ramdat reported to the Vigilance Police Station, where he surrendered his 9mm service pistol along with 13 live matching rounds:
- Forensic Processing: Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ranks swabbed Ramdat’s hands for gunshot residue (GSR), collected forensic DNA swabs, and seized his clothing for laboratory examination. Both Ramdat’s vehicle and Garraway’s minibus were impounded and fingerprinted.
- Missing Ballistic Casings: Crime scene detectives arrived at the Company Road junction roughly 20 minutes after the shooting occurred; however, a search of the immediate asphalt roadway recovered zero spent 9mm shell casings.
- CCTV Surveillance: Investigators identified commercial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras mounted on adjacent buildings commanding a direct view of the confrontation.
- Administrative Detention: Inspector Ramdat was subsequently placed under close arrest at the Tactical Services Unit headquarters, Eve Leary.
Unanswered Questions and Growing Institutional Secrecy
Nearly seven days following the shooting of an unarmed civilian by a senior commissioned rank, core investigative developments remain obscured:
- CCTV Verification: Have detectives secured, analyzed, and preserved the digital video recordings from the commercial cameras along the Railway Embankment?
- Custodial Status: Does Inspector Ramdat remain under close arrest at TSU headquarters, or has he been placed on open arrest or station bail pending legal advice?
- Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR): Has the file been submitted to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) or the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for independent review?
- Lack of Transparency: Why has the GPF Public Relations Department failed to dispatch its standard daily press bulletin on a firearm discharge involving the Chairman of the Police Association?
HGP Nightly News has repeatedly submitted inquiries to senior police administrators; however, up to broadcast time, the Guyana Police Force has refused to provide a substantive explanation.
