Police still silent on Mangar
Over forty-eight hours after the death of fugitive Wensworth Mangar police are still stonewalling on critical details surrounding the shooting. In conversation with police officers ranging from Commissioner Ornel Brooks to constables on the beat, the tune is the same: “It’s all in the press release.” The release in question, however, issued Sunday afternoon, raises more questions than it answers. I will read it exactly as issued.
“Early this morning, March 15th, 1998, relentless police investigation and pursuit of fugitives Wensworth Mangar, Douglas Williams and Marcel Gabourel led to an exchange of gunfire between Mangar and a “Special Police Task Force” in the vicinity of Valley of Peace in the Cayo District, during which Mangar was fatally wounded.
At the time of the incident, Mangar armed with a point twenty-two telescopic rifle fired at the police when ordered to surrender. In return he was shot in the region of the chest and died on the spot.
The rifle used by Mangar was recovered with five rounds of ammunition in it’s magazine and an expended shell was also found during a search of the immediate area. Further investigations revealed that the weapon fired by Mangar was stolen from a resident of Roaring Creek Village on the 28th August, 1997.
Mangar’s body has been transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where it awaits a post mortem examination.
The police are continuing their investigation and pursuits of Douglas Williams and Marcel Gabourel, the two remaining fugitives.”
Since the police seem to have lost their once well lubricated tongues, we will throw out the following questions and invite anyone out there with answers to give us a call.
What led the “Special Police Task Force” to the Valley of Peace in the first place? How big was the “Special Task Force?” What kind of arms did they carry? How many shots were fired at Mangar? At what range? How many shots did Mangar fire? Was he accompanied by Williams and Gabourel? Who was the officer who fired the fatal bullet? Who, if anyone, will collect the ten thousand dollar reward? The list could go on and on, but it begins and ends with the most important question of all. Why has an event which should have been hailed as a major triumph for the police and community, been shrouded in a cloud of official secrecy?
