A gun-toting bandit has been shot dead while his accomplice was captured shortly after the duo committed a daring armed robbery at a hardware store in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) yesterday afternoon.
Dead is 22-year-old Kevin Batson of First Alley, Wismar, Region 10. He is said to have been unemployed at the time of the robbery.
Reports are that around 14:30h on Wednesday, an armed Batson, along with his male accomplice, visited a hardware store at One Mile,Wismar, where they pretended to be customers.
The two bandits approached the owner of the business who had been outside of the establishment and told him that they were interested in purchasing rake. The duo reportedly told the businessman that they wished to pay for the item before it was delivered to them. It was during this process that Batson is said to have whipped out his handgun and struck a blow to the man’s head with the weapon.
The now dead bandit, along with his accomplice, then quickly relieved the injured hardware store owner of an undisclosed amount of cash, his cellular phone and several other items.
One of the two suspects then reportedly discharged a round in the air before they fled the scene.
However, the businessman along with another individual who had been in the area at the time of the robbery, pursued the two perpetrators as they fled in a nearby street. Batson is said to have begun firing shots in the direction of the businessman, who in turn, withdrew his licensed pistol and returned fire. He managed to successfully fire at least one shot at the gunman but the two bandits still escaped.
HGP Nightly News understands that police ranks arrived promptly at that location and began combing the area for the two perpetrators.
It was during this that Batson “suddenly emerged from the bush” pointing his right hand which was wrapped with a red bandana at the lawmen. As a result of this, he was shot once to the right side of his hip.
A search of his person revealed the businessman’s cellular phone, a sum of cash and several other items belonging to the victim. Additionally, a small quantity of suspected cannabis was also found in his possession.
Batson was then taken to the Mackenzie Public Hospital Complex where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body, which bore several suspected gunshot wounds, is at the Pensioners’ mortuary awaiting a Post Mortem Examination (PME).
Meanwhile, police ranks that were acting on intelligence went to a house at Victory Valley, Wismar, where they apprehended the other suspected bandit. He was found with a bag containing an unlicensed pistol with two live ammunition, a toque, gloves, dove spray and several pieces of garments with suspected blood stains.
He is presently in police custody as investigations into the matter continue.
