News Room Reports : The family of 16-year-old Aftaz King is reeling in grief following his tragic death on Thursday evening, while local residents continue to protest, demanding accountability for a police pursuit that ended in a fatal collision.
The teenager, a labourer from Lot 49 Eliza Mary Race Course, died after his motorcycle struck a utility pole on the Princeton Access Road. While the Guyana Police Force has launched an investigation, the teenager’s family and eyewitnesses are firmly alleging that police misconduct is to blame for the crash.
The teenager’s grandmother, Marcelline King, described the profound shock of losing her grandson just minutes after they had last spoken. According to family members and several eyewitnesses, the police patrol vehicle involved in the chase allegedly made physical contact with the rear of King’s motorcycle.
“They said the police hit him from behind and he fly into the lamp pole,” the grandmother alleged.
The teenager’s mother, Padmine Megnauth, noted that her son had suffered severe trauma, including head and neck injuries and a broken foot. She further disclosed a troubling detail: she believes one of the officers involved in the pursuit had previously interacted with her son during a separate incident where he was stopped for driving without a license.
The tragedy is compounded by the personal aspirations of the deceased. Relatives described King as a hardworking, respectful young man who had attended Line Path Secondary School and purchased his motorcycle with his own earnings.
In a bitter irony, his family revealed that King had recently applied to join the Guyana Police Force. “The sweetest part is that he put in to join the Police Force and is the same Police [who] kill he,” his grandmother said through tears.
As the community of Corentyne continues to express its outrage through public gatherings and protests, questions regarding police procedure and the necessity of the high-speed pursuit are intensifying.
The Guyana Police Force has yet to publicly address the specific allegations that their patrol vehicle struck the motorcycle. The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is currently tasked with investigating the incident to determine if there was any criminal or disciplinary wrongdoing. Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Oneidge Walrond, has already called for calm, assuring the public that the investigation will be impartial and that no one is above accountability.
