Five cops charged over death of man at Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station
Five serving members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were on Friday remanded to prison after being jointly charged with the murder of 32-year-old Gavin Kennard Douglas, who died while in police custody at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
The accused, Tiansay Thomas, Wencill Marshall, Joel Newsum, Bevis Lyle and Ariff Haniff, appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where the indictable murder charge was read to them.
The charge alleges that the five men murdered Douglas on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.
None of the accused was required to enter a plea to the charge, and they were remanded to prison until November 17, when the matter is scheduled to be called at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court.
Attorney-at-law Yuborn Allicock appeared on behalf of Thomas and Marshall, while Newsum was represented by attorneys Kiswana Jefford, Nigel Hughes and Tiffaine Rutherford.
Haniff was represented by attorneys Shamar Britton and Meshonn Persaud.
The charges come six days after Douglas, a labourer of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara (WCD), died under circumstances that prompted an investigation by the Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
Douglas was arrested on October 31 in connection with an alleged armed robbery reportedly committed three days earlier at New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop.
According to the Police Force’s initial account, Douglas was taken to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station at approximately 11:36 a.m.
Police had claimed that around noon, while ranks were attempting to place him in the lock-ups, he became aggressive and resisted their efforts. He was reportedly restrained and placed in a cell.
However, approximately 45 minutes later, Douglas was allegedly discovered frothing at the mouth during a check of the lock-ups. He was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he died while receiving medical attention.
The circumstances surrounding his death immediately raised questions, particularly after relatives alleged that he had been subjected to excessive force while in police custody.
A post-mortem examination conducted on Monday, November 2, by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh subsequently determined that Douglas died from a brain haemorrhage caused by blunt trauma.
The examination also revealed two Taser studs lodged in his body. These were removed and retained as evidence in the investigation.
Following the findings, four police ranks were initially placed under close arrest as investigators sought to establish the circumstances surrounding Douglas’ death.
By November 3, that number had increased to six, with officers from both the Vreed-en-Hoop and La Parfaite Harmonie Police Stations being questioned.
Police had indicated that additional arrests were possible as the investigation widened.
The matter also attracted the attention of Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond, who called for a swift, thorough and impartial investigation, stressing that the State has a responsibility to ensure the safety of persons placed in its custody.
Walrond maintained that accountability must follow wherever the evidence establishes wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Douglas’ mother, Police Inspector Colette Jones, publicly demanded answers about her son’s death, questioning how he sustained fatal injuries while detained by fellow members of the Police Force.
Jones, who is also a serving police officer, had indicated that she would not be intimidated or silenced in her pursuit of answers surrounding her son’s death.
The matter will continue on November 17 at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court.
