From The Guardian TT

A prisons officer was shot dead and thrown out of a moving car at Red Hill, Morvant, yesterday, sparking fears among prisons officers across the country.

The killing comes in the wake of death threats against prisons officers from inmates after a near riot at the remand facility at Golden Grove Prison last month.

According to police reports, Andell Primus, 27, of Bhagaloo Trace, Enterprise, Chaguanas, was shot and thrown out of a moving car at Red Hill, Morvant, around 4.15 pm.

Residents of Plover Street, Red Hill, told police they heard people arguing inside a car before they heard gun shots. After the shooting the car sped off and Primus was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.

The officer, who has two years service, was pronounced dead on arrival, police said.

In a brief comment last night, president of the Prisons Officers Association Ceron Richards said all prisons officers were now under threat.

He said he had little information about the shooting and would address the matter in detail today.

In an unrelated matter, police were reported to be at the scene where a body was found at Penal Rock Road, Moruga, last night. No details were available up to press time.

IMAGE: Andell Primus

For more on this story go to: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-07-18/prisons-officer-shot-dead-thrown-speeding-car

Related story:

In wake of Red Hill murder: Ultimatum from prisons officers

By Charles Kong Soo From The Guardian T&T

President of the Prison Officers Association, Ceron Richards, right, speaks to his general secretary Gerard Gordon at yesterday’s press conference following the murder of prisons officer Andell Primus on Friday. Photo: ABRAHAM DIAZ
The Prison Officers Association (POA) says there will be no further talks until all prisons officers are armed and their safety and security demands met.

So said POA president Ceron Richards.

He was speaking at the association’s headquarters in Arouca yesterday, following the shooting death of 27-year-old prisons officer Andell Primus in Morvant, Friday night.

Richards said, “It is regrettable that such an incident can happen. We understand how the family must be feeling and express our condolences.

“Prisons officers have been continuously threatened and over 12 officers have been murdered over the past several years. “We’ve had several meetings, dialogues. We were even part of a committee throughout the years in an effort to raise these issues and to provide solutions to no avail.

“We’re now demanding that all officers be armed forthwith given the current and past circumstances and what is likely to happen because we see the prison service as under threat.”

He said the POA at this point in time was no longer interested with meeting any of the stakeholders regarding the safety and security of officers on and off duty and the remedies to be applied.

Richards said another of the association’s demands was that all officers residing in high-risk areas who wanted to move should be relocated forthwith.

He said if the Government could give 100 houses to citizens per week, certainly it could accommodate prisons officers who advanced the interests of the State.

Richards said the association issued an ultimatum that a policy position from Government for the protection of prisons officers should be drafted within one week, communicated, and implemented forthwith.

For more on this story go to: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-07-18/ultimatum-prisons-officers