By Sue-Ann Wayow
A MAN who allegedly pointed an American Tactical Rifle fitted with a magazine containing a quantity of 5.56 ammunition at police officers was shot by one.
The suspect sustained an injury to the shoulder. He was arrested and conveyed to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he was treated, and then taken to the St Joseph Police Station.
Police reports are that between 7 pm on Friday and 2.30 am on Saturday, officers of the Inter Agency Task Force (TATF) were on mobile patrol in the Laventille area when they received information about a suspicious individual.
The team, which included Cpl Boodhoo, PC Forde, and PC Giddens, proceeded to the location near Despers Drive.
The officers exited their vehicle and walked west along a concrete walkway toward 42nd Street.
While approaching the end of the walkway, they observed a man standing in the roadway armed with a firearm.
Cpl Boodhoo, who was at the front of the formation, called out to the man and instructed him to drop his weapon. The suspect turned and immediately raised the firearm, pointing it in the direction of the officers.
Fearing for his life and that of his colleagues, and in keeping with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s Use of Force Policy, Cpl Boodhoo discharged his service weapon in the direction of the suspect. The suspect then dropped his firearm a release from the TTPS on Saturday stated.
Cpl Boodhoo approached the man who was later identified as a resident of 42nd Street and seized the weapon. The suspect was arrested, treated at hospital and taken then taken to the police station.
In a separate incident, officers of the Pinto Police Post conducted an exercise between 3 pm and 6 pm on Friday.
The operation focused on bars and known drug blocks in the Santa Rosa, Demerara Road, La Retreat Road, Heights of Guanapo, and Maturita areas.
Acting on intelligence received, the team conducted a search along Hoyte Avenue, Pinto Road, where they discovered a black plastic bag containing 45 rounds of 5.56 ammunition. The items were seized.
Car thieves selling car parts on Facebook
Additionally, three suspects ages 26, 19 and 17 were arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle by officers of the St Joseph Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
On Friday officers from the St Joseph CID received information in connection to a stolen vehicle which led them to a location on Market Street, St Joseph.
There they observed three men in the process of scrapping a silver Toyota Fielder. The vehicle had been reported stolen from the Point Fortin district earlier.
The vehicle was subsequently posted for sale on Facebook Marketplace, where it was advertised for scrapping and sale of parts.
Based on this intelligence, PC Gomez, PC Nicholls, and PC Roopnarine visited the seller’s location and encountered three individuals from Market Street St Joseph actively dismantling the vehicle.
They were arrested and the vehicle and several car parts were towed to the St Joseph Police Station, the TTPS reported.
Man charged for fraud – received money for work he did not do
And a 45-year-old businessman from La Romain is facing a charge of Fraudulent Conversion after allegedly failing to deliver on a masonry job for which he was paid.
The charge stems from a report made by the victim, who alleged that on January 10, 2022, he paid a sum of $20,000 to the businessman via wire transfer to a bank account in the suspect’s name. The payment represented a downpayment for materials and partial labour to complete repairs on kitchen cupboards, a wine rack, vanity space, television stand and storage cupboard. The works were promised to be completed by March 2022.
However, the businessman allegedly failed to purchase the required materials and did not complete the repairs. The victim subsequently demanded that the works be completed or a refund issued, but those efforts were unsuccessful. A report was later made to the police.
Following investigations by WPC Charles, an exercise was conducted in the Southern Division and the suspect was arrested.
After consultations with Superintendent Lutchman, and upon the advice of attorney Byam, the businessman was charged with the offence of Fraudulent Conversion in the sum of $20,000, police stated.
He is expected to appear before a High Court Master on Monday.
