Ex-con gunned down in broad daylight

A HIGH-NOON shoot-out outside the State prison on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday took the life of a convicted drug dealer whose name was given as Godfrey Henry — alias “Rattles” — and was said to be in his 40s. The now dead man had gone to the prison earlier in the morning accompanied by a friend, to arrange bail for his (Henry’s) brother. After Henry was gunned down in cold blood, the gunmen stole a car belonging to an unidentified Venezuelan woman, but were subsequently captured by police. According to police reports, around 10.40 am yesterday, Henry was on his way from the prison and was apparently followed by two of the killers a short distance south along Frederick Street.

After crossing the New Street intersection, one of the men drew a firearm and opened fire at Henry, shooting him in the back in full view of several persons and a surveillance camera which is positioned at the nearby State prison. The injured man spun around and ran a short distance towards New Street corner, where he collapsed. As Henry lay on the road, the gunman ran up to him and pumped several more bullets into him. The two men then ran to a waiting car driven by a third accomplice, who had earlier hijacked it from the Venezuelan woman. Police were alerted by the sounds of the gunshots and arrived on the scene. a high speed-chase and shoot-out ensued. The officers reportedly shot the front tyres of the getaway car as well as two of its doors. The punctured tyres forced the gunmen to stop the car.

One man was held on Abercromby Street, while another was held in the Queen’s Park Savannah. The third man (who hijacked the car) managed to elude police and up to last night was still at large. Police believe he may have been wounded in the shoot-out. A bleeding Henry was taken to Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries. He was reportedly shot five times about the body. Police cordoned off the State Prison along Frederick and Oxford Streets during their investigations and recovered eight spent shells. Blood stains were also discovered in the seat of the stolen car.

Henry, who was reportedly released from prison on three separate occasions on three unrelated murders, was recently released after spending ten years at Carrera for possession of narcotics. He was a suspect in several shootings in the St Barb’s and Laventille areas  where he lived. When Newsday visited the St Barb’s and Beetham Estate homes where Henry was said to be living, persons we spoke to denied knowing him. Police sources told Newsday they believed the killing was either caused by revenge for past criminal acts or was drug-related. Henry’s murder is the 54th for the year. Insp Holder of Port-of-Spain CID is heading investigations.