Prison officer attacked

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding an attack on a prison officer at his Malabar home on Saturday.

Reports indicate that the officer was at his home with his girlfriend when they heard gunshots. The officer checked afterwards and found what appeared to be four bullet holes on the western side of the house and another on the eastern side.

This was the second attack on a prison officer in the space of a week.

Last Sunday, Tishana McClatchie-Ali, 46 was shot in the face when she and her husband, a 40-year-old prison officer, were attacked by a gunman.

Police said the prison officer, Marlon Ali, was driving his Toyota Corolla with his wife in the passenger seat, when he slowed down to go over a speed bump on Blake Avenue.

Just then, Ali saw a gunman dressed in dark coloured clothing. He pointed his gun and shot several times at the vehicle. Mc Clatchie-Ali ducked for cover but she was still shot in the face. Ali got a minor injury to his head.

A 33-year-old North Eastern Settlement, Sangre Grande, man was arrested in relation to the shooting.

Mohammed expressed concern over the shootings and said he had already advised his officers to exercise "target hardening" and to be cautious at all times. He said that from time to time attacks on prison officers escalate and the prison service is doing what it can to bring the attacks to a minimum.

“We have the full support of the Trinidad and Tobago police and any other supporting agencies that we would have to bring forward to get things under control. Fortunately, this latest incident did not result in any fatalities or woundings but I have advised my officers not to take any unnecessary chances and be aware of their surroundings.”

Thus far there has been no evidence to indicate that the attack may have been ordered from inside the prison.