Relatives, colleagues lament prison officer's murder

Less than a month after celebrating his son's first birthday, prison officer Stephon Richardson was gunned down outside a Church in Indian Walk, Moruga on Sunday night.

Richardson, 30, was outside the Mt Pleasant London Baptist Church, at around 7.30 when he was shot by men in a car. He died at the scene.

At the Forensics Science Centre, St James on Monday, one of Richardson's relatives told Newsday he was repeatedly warned about how dangerous his job could be.

"We always told him how risky his line of work was with all the prison officers that got killed.

"He would listen and take heed of what we said. He wasn't a limer to say he was always out."

Relatives said Richardson graduated from the University of the West Indies with honours in history and joined the prison service six months ago when he could not find another job. They said he never complained of being threatened.

One of Richardson's colleagues lamented the number of prison officers who have been killed.

Referring to the murder of prison officer Sherwin Francis in Chaguanas last month, he said it was unfortunate prison officers continued to be the targets of criminals.

"It's almost as if signing up to be a prison officer is like signing your own death warrant.

"Not more than two weeks ago we were here for the death of another colleague.

"We try as prison officers to help the inmates, sometimes going above and beyond the call of duty because we know how frustrating it could be for them with repeated delays in cases, and this still happens to us."

The officer said he was afraid Richardson's death would be overshadowed by the budget and wanted the danger they faced to be foremost in people’s minds.