Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 03:28

3 bandits killed in shootout with cops

Three suspected bandits are dead and one in custody after a shootout with police in Cunupia on the night of January 21. Reports said members of the Central Division Task Force on patrol responded to a call about an ongoing robbery at Da Hua supermarket, on the corner of Ragoonanan Road and Welcome Road, around 9 pm. On their way there, they saw a silver wagon speeding along Ragoonanan Road. They chased it and tried to stop it, but the occupants allegedly began shooting at them. The police shot back and the wagon crashed into a ditch near the Southern Main Road. Two men ran away, but three were found injured inside the wagon. They were taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility, where they later died. Police found a Glock pistol with an automatic switch in the wagon. Assistant Commissioner of Police for South Central Wayne Mystar told Newsday one of the men who escaped, who was injured in the shootout, was later arrested in a part of Curepe known as Bangladesh. While this may have been one of the first police-involved killings for the year and under the state of emergency, Mystar said, “This is nothing new in terms of our enforcement activities. We have the criminal element that are willing and ready to take on the TT Police Service as a result of their illegal activities. They don't want to be caught.” But he said officers were trained to handle those situations. He said the killings would be investigated by both the police and the Police Complaints Authority, in accordance with protocol. Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce president Baldath Maharaj commended the police for their swift action and encouraged them to maintain their vigilance, especially to capture the bandit still at large. “Incidents like this emphasise the critical role of law enforcement in protecting lives, businesses, and communities from the ongoing threat of crime. The chamber remains committed to supporting the police and fostering partnerships aimed at improving security measures for the benefit of all residents and businesses in Chaguanas and surrounding areas.” Maharaj called on the public to come forward and help the investigations to resolve the matter quickly. Despite the robbery, the supermarket was open for business as usual on the afternoon of January 22 when Newsday visited. The employee who was in the grocery at the time of the incident was not there, but the cashier was counting her blessings. The woman, who did not give her name, said though she had worked on January 21, she had left less than two hours before the attack because she was feeling ill. She told Newsday she was grateful she did not have to face the attack as she was still coming to terms with a 2021 robbery at the store. Asked about the incident, a customer and his wife simultaneously replied: “They (police) should have killed all five of them,” as they lamented the state of crime. But Mystar dismissed that sentiment, saying: “Of course we understand their frustration, but we have parameters...we have rules and regulations and what we call rules of engagement which relate to deadly force. So we only use deadly force as a last resort." Up to the evening of January 22, police had not yet identified the dead bandits. Hours afterwards, police shot and killed a man in Laventille after a report of a chopping in Eastern Quarry. Police said they arrived to find Shakeem Nickie, also known as Fabbi, 22, chopping another man. They reportedly ordered Nickie to stop, and shot him once in the upper body when he did not comply. He later died at the Port of Spain General Hospital. The victim was also taken for treatment. A state of emergency was declared on December 30 to give police and the TT Regiment extra powers to combat ongoing and anticipated gang violence and the proliferation of illegal, high-powered guns. Sharida Ali was killed by a stray bullet on January 18 during a police shootout with car thieves in Beetham Gardens. The shooting is being investigated. The post 3 bandits killed in shootout with cops appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.