AROUCA – POLICE were called into the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca on Tuesday to deal with a riot of more than 250 prisoners.
Non-lethal weapons were used to bring the situation under control.
The unrest started just after 12 noon after prisoners claimed they were being held in oppressive conditions after some court cases were suspended to deal with the Covid-19 threat.
Acting Commissioner of Prisons, Dennis Pulchan, sought the assistance of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) after two prison officers were injured by prisoners at the South Wing of the Prison, a TTPS release stated.
Several units of the TTPS under the command of acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Jayson Forde went into the prison and assisted in bringing order in the Remand sections.
Responding were officers of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT), Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB), Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Northern Division Task Force (NDTF), North-Eastern Division Task Force (NEDTF), Port of Spain Division Task Force (POSTF), and Northern Division Criminal Investigations Department (NDCID).
According to the release, about three hours later, the officers were able to get the situation under control, using non-lethal weapons such as tasers, pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets.
Pulchan confirmed to the media that non-lethal weapons were used.
During the riot, a Senior Superintendent of Prisons and Supt of Prisons, as well as two prisoners, sustained injuries and were taken for medical attention, the release stated.
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