President in shootout scare

His Excellency, President George Maxwell Richards, got a scare on Thursday night when police officers who were part of his security detail fired on a Volkswagen Bora vehicle after the driver reportedly joined the detail behind the President’s car and refused to move out of the way. As a result of the incident, the driver of the Bora, 35-year-old Nevlin Lyon-Moore of Cascade, was arrested. He was charged with drunk driving, driving in a reckless manner, and using obscene language. The charges were laid by PC Davidson of the Guard and Emergency Branch. Reports revealed that the escort with the President’s detail was proceeding around the Queen’s Park Savannah at 8.30 pm, when the Bora car, registration number PBS 6293, was seen driving in a reckless manner near Marli Street.

Reports revealed that the driver of the vehicle reportedly overtook the escort drivers and drove behind the car transporting the President. Frantic officers reportedly tried to get the driver of the car to desist from driving behind the President’s vehicle. The officers honked their horns, put on their sirens and called on the driver to move out of the way. According to reports, the driver refused to move out of the way and continued driving. Suspicious officers then fired four shots behind the Bora using the powerful MP-5 guns. The driver of the car was unhurt, but this caused him to bring his vehicle to a stop. His Excellency, who was privy to the shooting of the vehicle, was driven to President’s House where he was later briefed about the incident. The driver of the car was arrested and taken to the St Clair Police Station.

He was later taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he reportedly refused to take a blood test. Yesterday, the man appeared before Port-of-Spain Magistrate David Harris, in the Fifth Court where he was granted bail in the sum of $45,000. He was represented by attorney Ian Brooks and the matter was adjourned to January 6. Yesterday, the car remained in police custody pending the investigations by ASP Julie Carrington. Senior police officers expressed concern over the incident and questioned the decision by the police officers to shoot at the vehicle. They felt that even if a person  was planning a terrorist attack, the action of the officers could have placed the life of the President at risk. However, they are calling on members of the public to desist from driving behind the security detail of any head of State, or the Prime Minister.