A 33-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia is recovering from a gunshot wound to his left foot after being shot by police officers at the Blairmont Police Station on March 14, sparking calls from his family for a full investigation into the incident.
Steve Vyfhuis of Lot 309, Number 9 Village, West Coast Berbice, had been previously involved in incidents in March that resulted in damage to a vehicle and a church building. According to Vyfhuis, police officers visited his home on March 13 and instructed him to report to the station, where an agreement was subsequently reached for him to compensate for the damages.
The following day, while in police custody, Vyfhuis said he informed officers that the station’s restroom was overflowing with wastewater. After being given his clothing, he refused to return to the holding cell, citing the unsanitary conditions.
“Why I didn’t go back into the cell is because it was flooded. There is no way I could have stayed in such a cell. The wastewater was coming out, plus my lunch was on the floor. Their main intention was for me to stay in there,” he said.
During the confrontation that followed, Vyfhuis was shot in the left foot. He was taken to the Bath Regional Hospital for treatment, and medical assessments indicate that further surgery may be required.
His mother, Bernadette Vyfhuis, said she had requested that her son be taken to the New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation prior to the incident a request she indicated was not acted upon. She expressed deep anguish over the way the situation was handled.
“I don’t like the way the police handled the situation. In the first place, they don’t listen to you,” she said, adding that the family had already agreed to and paid compensation through a Justice of the Peace, making the escalation to a shooting unnecessary in her view.
Bernadette issued an emotional appeal for accountability, directing her frustration at officers who she believes abused their authority.
“I need justice. We are suffering physically and psychologically. The pain is a lot. Too many parents, mothers have been crying for their children. When you see these police behaving in this kind of conduct, get rid of them I don’t mean kill them, don’t hire people like them,” she said.
Police Commander for Region Five, Lonsdale Withrite, confirmed that an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
