[UPDATED] Policeman dead in apparent suicide

Police are investigating the death of a police constable in Laventille on Thursday night.

They said the officer, identified as PC Ameer Ramsaran of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF), was on patrol with another officer and two soldiers at around 9.05 pm when they went to an abandoned house at Desperlie Crescent, Laventille.

While inside, Ramsaran reportedly received a phone call from a female relative.

His colleagues said they overheard him arguing with the relative, then heard two gunshots.

When they went into the room, they found Ramsaran bleeding on the floor with his service pistol in his hand.

He was taken to the Port of Spain general hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The police, in a release on Friday, said Ramsaran’s senior officer Ag Insp Ricardo Matas described him as a model officer, who was extremely intelligent and very dedicated to his job. Matas says Ramsaran’s death has come as a great shock to his colleagues in the IATF and he will be greatly missed.

***Anyone in need of help or who may know of others who need help can call the 24-hour Lifeline hotline at 645-2800 or the Alive (suicide hotline) at 688-8525 or 650-5270. In addition, a psychologist can be sourced at www.psychologytt.org.