Trinidad Police shot and killed two men and seized a quantity of firearms following a sting operation into a spate of robberies with criminals using social media to lure victims.
A police statement said one other person had also been detained in the operation that took place at Barataria on the outskirts of the capital on Tuesday.
The statement said police officers had responded to a Facebook advertisement in which a vehicle was being offered for sale.
“Acting on information, police officers proceeded to 11th Street, Barataria, where two suspects, who were allegedly armed with firearms, approached an unmarked police vehicle and pointed the firearms at plainclothes police officers,” the statement said.
It said other police officers, who were in another unmarked police vehicle parked nearby, announced their presence and the men allegedly pointed the firearms in the direction of those officers.
“The lawmen, in keeping with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s (TTPS) Use of Force Policy, discharged their weapons in the direction of the two suspects. One of the men then took off running after he allegedly dropped a firearm onto the roadway. He then entered a white Nissan in an attempt to escape.
“Police officers gave chase and a shootout ensued.
The statement said both suspects were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt. Hope where they were pronounced dead.
The police said their identities remain unknown at this time and the 38-year-old driver of the vehicle is assisting with their investigations. The police said they had also recovered three firearms.
CMC
