Teen held after shootout with police

An 18-year-old Chaguanas man was arrested with a Mac 11 automatic pistol and eight rounds of live ammunition following a shootout with members of the North Eastern Division Task Force. According to reports, at around 9.10 pm on Wednesday officers of the NEDTF were on patrol in the San Juan area, when they responded to a call, from Command Centre, that a silver-grey Nissan Primera car was stolen from its owner at gunpoint in Curepe. The vehicle was spotted with three heavily-armed men in the Mt Hope area.

Supplied with information from a civilian who followed the stolen car and kept in contact with police via a cellphone, the officers cornered the bandits in the car trying to enter the northern side of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex car park. The bandits were ordered to throw down their weapons, but responded instead by shooting at the police. The police returned fire and the men ran. The teen reportedly fell and hit his head, and was held by the police. The weapon and ammunition were seized. The injured man was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was treated and discharged. He is currently assisting police, including the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, with their investigations and is expected to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate today. Sgt Keith Louison, head of the NEDTF, is leading the investigation.