Trinidad & Tobago Security Minister Gary Griffith
PORT OF SPAIN, (CMC) – National Security Minister Gary Griffith Thursday warned criminals that they would “pay the price”
if they fire upon police officers as he defended law enforcement officials following a shoot out that left three suspected bandits dead earlier this week.
“If criminal elements who feel that they could fire now, who feel that they are so bold and feel that they could shoot and fire at law enforcement officers, as I said before and I say again, deadly force would be met with deadly force.
“You cannot expect criminals to shoot at law enforcement officers and the officers are just going to speak to them and talk them out of it and then I hear statements of people saying they should shoot them in the legs and so forth, that’s ridiculous,” Griffith said.
On Tuesday Police said they shot and killed three people during a shootout in Freeport in central Trinidad after they had gone to a house to execute a search warrant when they were fired upon by the occupants of the building.
“All three were shot in the front. They were face to face with the police. Their hearts were punctured and there were no bullet entrance wounds from their back. They were not sitting or laying down and they all died from internal blood loss,” said forensic pathologist. Dr Valerie Alexandrov.
The officers said they recovered two firearms, two bullet-proof vests and several spent shells. So far 37 people have been killed by police this year.
Griffith said the police would continue to “take the appropriate action” when fired upon and that all cases involving police officers would be thoroughly investigated.
“I think we have a very competent Police Complaints Authority and they will look at the situation, the police will not cover anything they feel that is wrong and I as the Minister of National Security…has no intention of trunin a blind eye. If I see something is wrong I would just not cover it, I would root it out and deal with it and that would also include rogue elements of the police service and the Defence Force…”.
