HGP Nightly News Reports : Grief turned to protest on Sunday as mourners carrying the coffin of 30-year-old Otis John Jordan Payne placed it directly on the roadway in front of the Cove and John Police Station the very location where he died while in custody.
Ranks of the Guyana Police Force, some of them armed, were present at the scene and formed a human barricade, with additional barriers erected around the area as tensions ran high.
Payne, of Haslington, East Coast Demerara, died on March 24, 2025, after reportedly complaining of feeling unwell while in police custody. An autopsy subsequently determined that he died from peritonitis a serious abdominal infection caused by a perforated stomach ulcer.
His family, however, has maintained that Payne was beaten by police prior to his death, allegations that Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond has rejected, stating that footage reviewed by her office does not support the claim.
The demonstration outside the police station underscored the deep grief and lingering anger felt by those closest to Payne, as his family continues to demand answers and accountability surrounding the circumstances of his death.
