Senior Reporter
Thirty-one people have been killed by police since the start of the year, according to figures compiled by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), following the fatal shooting of a Morvant man yesterday morning.
The PCA figures show that the 31 people killed by police since the beginning of the year arose from 26 incidents.
The latest police-involved killing occurred during an operation to execute a Preventive Detention Order (PDO) on Keebedy “Rhino” Perpignac at Clarence Circular, Never Dirty, Morvant.
According to police, officers arrived at Perpignac’s residence around 2 am and announced their presence. Perpignac allegedly confronted the officers armed with a firearm.
Police said the officers ordered him to drop the firearm, but he reportedly refused and engaged them, prompting them to return fire in accordance with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Use of Force Policy.
Perpignac was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (PoSGH), where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Perpignac was allegedly wanted in connection with several recent homicides in the Morvant and Besson Street Police Station districts.
Following the shooting, officers searched the house and recovered an AR-15 rifle, 71 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, 16 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, a blue swivel light, a pair of blue strobe lights, two black bulletproof vests, a pair of tactical gloves, a pair of handcuffs and one full camouflage uniform.
The operation, codenamed “Operation RESOLUTE Shield”, was conducted in the Morvant Police Station District and was spearheaded by Snr Supt Guy-Alleyne and Supt Birch. It was coordinated by Insp Ramsingh and supervised by Cpls Daniel and Andrews.
Charred remains found in Longdenville
In a separate incident, police are investigating the discovery of charred skeletal remains in Longdenville on Monday.
Police officers received an anonymous call around 5.30 am that a burnt body could be found in bushes along Sewa Drive, Todd’s Road, Longdenville.
Although nearby residents refused to provide their names to officers, they directed lawmen to bushes approximately ten feet off the roadway.
In addition to the burnt remains, officers saw what appeared to be a truck rim, the remains of a steel belt from a tyre and a pair of black Timberland boots next to the skeletal remains.
They also observed several gold teeth in the upper front part of the victim’s mouth.
The remains were sent to the Forensic Science Centre, St James.
