GUYANA - Police officer charged with 16-y-o student's murder

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

A 30-year-old police officer has appeared in court here charged with the murder of a 16-year-old student.

Kelvin Fraser was shot while police officers responded to reports that a group of men had been molesting students from a secondary school here.

Officer Quincy John was remanded into custody when he made a brief appearance in a Magistrate's Court to answer the charge arising out of the incident on June 7.

Police said Fraser was shot when he and five other young men fled the area when lawmen arrived to investigate the incident.

They said further that the student was shot in the chest when the firearm of one of the law enforcement officials accidentally discharged.

A post-mortem indicated that the teenager died from shock and haemorrhaging consistent with a laceration of the lungs caused by gunshot wounds.

Act more responsibly

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said he hoped in future that the police would act more responsibly in dealing with similar situations.

"The circumstances leading to the death of this student, Kelvin Fraser, is unfortunate and it's to be regretted.

"Obviously it was a lack of judgment on the part of the police officer who decided to chase the student and apparently a scuffle took place during the course of which the fire arm went off, resulting in the death of young Fraser," Rohee said.