Cops hold 2 after chase

A police officer attached to the Traffic Branch literally froze at a crime scene yesterday and had to be assisted by passing officers, resulting in the capture of two murder suspects. According to reports, the officer was on a wrecker near the abandoned Carib Brewery warehouse at the corner of Vieira Street and South Quay in Port-of-Spain, when he saw a man later identified as Junior Maule, also known as Larry Jackson and Larry Adams, being held down by three men and stabbed by another.

The constable and one of the wrecker workers ran to the scene and stood over the men, but froze when he tried to pull the trigger. The four men then ran off, pursued by the officer and worker. Constables James and Johnson were heading west along South Quay at the same time, when they saw the commotion and a man running east followed by the uniformed officer and another man. They spun their vehicle around and gave chase. The two officers apprehended a 32-year-old man, recently freed on a murder charge, after a short chase. Another man, 25, was held by two other patrolling officers under similar circumstances.

Both men were taken to the Besson Street Police Station where they are expected to be charged today after the autopsy results. According to investigations, Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) foreman Larry Adams had just left the URP office in Port-of-Spain where he had collected his January pay, when his car was blocked by another car on nearby Abattoir Road. The car is now lodged at the Besson Street Police Station. Police also seized a bloody knife at the scene. More reports revealed that Adams, who has several charges and cases pending for robbery, shooting, possession of arms, ammunition and drugs, ran out of the car pursued by his attackers. He was cornered near the abandoned warehouse where he was stabbed four times, three in the chest and one in the stomach.

The Muslim father of four was pronounced dead on arrival at the PoS General Hospital. When Newsday visited his Mango Alley home at Trou Macaque, relatives said they were not sure of the details and were unwilling to comment. However, area residents confirmed he had been warned, shot at several times and threatened. Police sources told Newsday they believed the killing was a gangland reprisal related to the shooting of two gang members in the Trou Macaque area last year. This killing brings the murder total for the year to 14 and the tenth in the Port-of-Spain Division. It is also the first to be solved. Visiting the scene were Insp Singh, Sgts Fournillier, Boyce and Meetoo. Sgt Fournillier is continuing investigations.