Six police ranks have been placed under close arrest and are being questioned as the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) widens its investigation into the death of 32-year-old Gavin Kennard Douglas in police custody at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
In a statement issued today, the Guyana Police Force said three ranks attached to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station and one from the La Parfaite Harmonie Police Station were placed under closed arrest on November 2, 2026.
Two other ranks from La Parfaite Harmonie were subsequently placed under closed arrest and are also being questioned. Police said other ranks are likely to be arrested as the investigation continues.
Douglas, of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, died at approximately 12:45 hrs on October 31, 2026, while in custody at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station lock-ups.
A post-mortem examination revealed that he sustained blunt trauma to the head.
Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond has already called for a thorough, impartial and urgent investigation, stressing that accountability must follow wherever wrongdoing is established.
In a live Facebook video addressing Douglas’s death, Walrond said evidence must determine what occurred and guide any subsequent action.
“There must be accountability wherever the evidence leads. If wrongdoing is established, appropriate action must follow,” she said.
