Bandits shot and severely chopped a father of two on
Thursday night in Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
Sahodra
Persaud, a 31-year-old teacher,
and wife of the man told Stabroek News last night that she and
her husband Chandika, 38, and a truck driver, had just
returned to their home at Buxton Sideline Dam North when they
were confronted by two of the bandits.
"My husband park the truck and we did going to collect the
children by my mother because she live nearby, and a neighbour
call out to we and ask we if we see four boys on de road, and
we say no," Persaud recalled.
She said that almost simultaneously, the young men grabbed
her and her husband and instructed: "Don't holler..."
According to Persaud, the men then escorted them through
Gopie Street, Buxton where the other two were waiting and they
made the couple stand between two lamp posts before demanding
money and jewellery.
"They start telling me husband that they want the money,
jewels and the gun and me husband start fuh beg them and he
say he don't have no gun, that let they ask the vigilante
(policing group) and they start fuh beat and kick he," Persaud
related.
Apparently unsatisfied with her husband's response, Persaud
recounted, one of the bandits fired a shot at her husband but
it missed him. At this point, another bandit began loading a
smaller gun, but according to Persaud, when he attempted to
shoot her husband, the weapon appeared to jam.
"So they take out a big Rambo knife and
chop three fingers on he [right] hand and they chop he one
time in he head and one time in he back," Persaud
said.
Rambo knife
Persaud explained that her husband then managed to break
away from his attackers, who were still holding her captive,
and ran off while one of the bandits fired at him injuring his
right arm.
However, he continued to run and was able to alert
neighbours. By this time, the Annandale Community Policing
Group had been alerted and they took a position in a nearby
yard.
"The vigilante start shooting at them and [the bandits]
loose me and run away. I run into a yard and the people rescue
me," Persaud told Stabroek News.
The woman's husband is presently a patient at the
Georgetown Public Hospital in stable condition where he is to
undergo surgery for the removal of pellets.
Persaud noted that once contacted, the police responded
rapidly.
A press release from the Police Public Relations Department
said yesterday that four bandits had pounced on the couple
demanding cash and jewellery shortly after they had parked
their truck outside their home.
It related that the pair was taken a few yards away and
the wife was
struck in the head with a gun by one of the bandits,
while several shots were fired at her husband after he managed
to run
away.
