Murders put damper on Christmas parties for senior cops

Senior police officers attending Christmas parties were forced to cut short their celebrations and visit the scenes of three separate shooting deaths which occurred hours apart in Central, Diego Martin and Laventille on Friday night. Ag Police Commissioner Everald Snaggs who was a guest at several of the Christmas parties hosted by police officers was informed of the three deaths. A jeweler, a former Caroni worker and a Laventille handyman were shot dead bringing to 225, the number of persons murdered for the year so far. Last year 172 persons were killed. There are ten more days remaining for the year.

Police officers believe that the murder figure could reach as high as 240. The first shooting death on Friday occurred around 8.20 pm when Nigel Richards, 26, of Laventille and an accomplice went to the Charlotte Street Mini Mart at North Post Road Patna Village, with the intention of robbing the proprietor. Police reports revealed that Richards posed as a customer and purchased a Shandy Carib from the proprietor. He was given a one dollar bill as change. Reports revealed that Richards and his accomplice then pointed guns at the proprietor and announced a hold up. They ordered the owner to hand over cash. A struggle ensued and Richards was shot in the chest and back. As he slumped to the ground the accomplice ran away. Richards reportedly ran a short distance away and collapsed. His body was viewed by a district medical officer who ordered the removal of the body to the Forensic Science Centre.

Police officers told Newsday that Richards was wanted for several robberies along the East West Corridor. They claimed that he lived in several places, and his last known address was Laventille Road, Laventille. A search was carried out for the accomplice of Richards but he was not found. The second murder occurred around 9 pm, when Junior Sam, 32, a jeweler, was shot in the mouth and robbed of his gold chain valued $5,000. Reports revealed that Sam went to the Sogren Trace home of his mother, Valicia. He spent some time talking with her and left her home around 9 pm. Minutes later while walking through Sogren Trace, Sam was confronted by a gunman who shot him in the mouth and then pulled off his gold chain from his neck. The gold chain carried a pendant, both  items made by Sam himself. A party of officers led by Sgt Ganpat Meetoo and others went to the scene and carried out inquiries.

Senior officers of the Port-of-Spain CID who were attending their party at Kampo Chinese Restaurant in Chaguanas were forced to cut short celebrations and visit the murder scene at Laventille. The body was viewed by a district medical officer and ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre. Police investigators are treating the murder as robbery-related. The grieving mother of Sam said yesterday that her son was looking forward to Christmas, and he was a very good jeweler. She added that when her son left her home on Friday night she never knew that it was the last time that she would see him alive. She is calling on the police to find the person responsible for the death of her son. The third murder occurred at 10.25 pm at Roopsingh Road, Carapichaima. Officers of the Central Division CID who were holding their Christmas party at Centre Pointe Mall, Chaguanas were called out to the murder scene shortly after it occurred. The victim, Jason Armstrong, 28, left his home telling his mother, Janet, that he was going to buy something to eat.

Reports revealed that a man riding a bicycle rode alongside Armstrong while he was walking and fired six shots at him. Armstrong was struck in the chest, head, mouth, arms and legs. The killer fled the scene on the bicycle. A party of officers led by Inspector Burt Raphael, Sgt Dennis Housend, Ag Sgt Ajith Persad and others went to the scene where they carried out inquiries. Officers recovered spent shells from the scene. Janet Armstrong who was at her Brickfield Village, Carapichaima home when the shooting death took place, rushed to the scene and knelt over the body. She said, “Son, this is the best place for you,” and patted his back. She told Newsday that her son was a cocaine addict and a former employee of Caroni (1975) Limited. A group of Brickfield villagers who gathered on the scene told Newsday that the killing was drug-related. They revealed that Armstrong sold drugs for a dealer and was owing a large sum of money. Ag Sgt Corbette is investigating.