Former Head of the Tactical Service Unit, Guy Nurse, testified on Monday that no instructions were given by him to the unit on the evening of March 5, 2020, to escort GECOM Chairperson, Justice Claudette Singh out of the Command Center at Ashmins Building.
Nurse recounted that on the night of March 5, 2020, he received instructions from the then Commissioner of Police Leslie James to put together a unit and have them on standby at the Brickdam Police Station.
He told the commission that the instructions from the commissioner was nothing new, since every day, since the staging of elections in 2020, TSU Ranks were aware of the posture to remain on standby at Brickdam.
“Usually what would happen is that every day, ranks would be at TSU awaiting instructions to go to Brickdam and remain there on standby and await instruction,” Nurse said. The Commission then asked Nurse who gave the instructions to escort the GECOM Chairperson out of the Ashmins Building, or whether a request was made.
“I was not aware that the TSU Ranks left the Brickdam Police Station. I did not give instructions for them to leave there and go to the Command Center… I am not sure who gave them instructions or requested it but it did not come from me,” Nurse posited. Nurse said to this day, he has not either requested information or given the reason why the ranks went to the Ashmins building without his instructions.
He outlined to the commission however that protocol would allow the Commander of the respective division to request the unit if needed. But on March 5, 2020, Nurse received a call from Commissioner James. James, according to Nurse, instructed him to send the ranks back to the Command Center.
“He called and instructed me to have them report to Commander Thomas to secure the building. I did not ask what was going on at the Command Center since Mr. Thomas was the senior person on the ground,” Nurse said.
Nurse said that he was not aware that there was a “riot”, by the definition of the word, at the Ashmins building. “When the ranks returned to the Brickdam Police Station, all I was told was that the building was secured. It was not until the next day I saw what happened that night,” Nurse said.
The Commission then asked whether he had inquired from his ranks about the events which transpired during their involvement in “securing the building.” Nurse replied that no inquiry was made due to the fact that a senior officer was on the ground with them.
“I was listening to the radio transmission, and I heard nothing over the radio about the situation at the Ashmins building.”
