Ongoing gun battles in East Port-of-Spain claimed another casualty on Saturday afternoon, this time a 7-year-old boy who was playing near his home. According to police reports, Abhola Buckin was playing between building 58 and 60 at around 5 pm on Saturday when neighbours reportedly heard gunshots. After the shooting stopped, the child and two other had been shot. The boy was shot in the left hand.
Vanessa Solomon, of Champ Fleurs, who was in a taxi heading south along Nelson Street was shot along with Clyde Mattion who was in a car behind her. Mattion lives at Laventille Road. Solomon was shot in the right shoulder and Mattion was shot in the left hand. All three were taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital where they were listed in a stable condition up to yesterday.
In an unrelated incident, two police officers attached to the Freeport Police Station were injured in a high speed chase along the Solomon Hochoy Highway. At around 11 am yesterday officers of the Highway Patrol noticed a stolen grey Nissan B-13 heading north along the highway.
The occupants of the stolen vehicle attempted to escape and collided with the officers’ vehicle. The chase ended near Grand Bazaar. The officers, who were not seriously injured, were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Complex, treated and discharged. All three suspects were arrested. In another incident, Southern Division officers are searching for five men who shot a man in San Fernando after robbing him of $13,000 in cash and a gold chain.
At around 2 pm on Saturday, Elvis Matiste was standing near St James Street, San Fernando, when a car with the five men pulled up and announced a hold up. The men beat Matiste and took his valuables before shooting him on the left hand. Investigations are continuing into all three matters.