Wanted man shot dead in police shootout

A 27-year-old man who was a suspect in the larceny of a firearm belonging to a police inspector was shot dead in a shootout with police officers at Teelucksingh Street, California early yesterday.

Anderson Bramble, was wanted on six warrants for a series of robberies and firearm offences in Central Trinidad. Police officers acting on a tip off went to the house at California around 5 am yesterday where they attempted to execute a search warrant. They were greeted by gunfire and returned fire. When they made a check, they discovered the body of Bramble lying in a pool of blood.  He was shot in the head and other parts of the body. The body was viewed by a District Medical Officer who ordered the removal to the Forensic Science Centre. An autopsy will be carried out today to determine the cause of death. Police investigators told Newsday that Bramble was a notorious bandit in Central. They added that he was one of three men who held up Inspector Samlal of the San Fernando Police while he was at a bar at Laing Street, Chaguanas, last week and robbed him of his service revolver. Inspector Samlal was also robbed of $4,000 and beaten.

Reports revealed that Bramble was hiding out at the house and was intimately involved with a woman who lives in California. Bramble is the fourth person within recent times to be shot dead in a shootout with police officers. Last week Aaron Whiley of Enterprise Village, Chaguanas who was a suspect in several robberies was shot dead. Then last Thursday Mokesh Dyal, said to be the leader of a killer gang, was shot dead at a house in Curepe. On Thursday night Marlon McPherson, who allegedly robbed a gas station was shot dead in a shootout at Maraval, while Bramble was shot dead early yesterday.