Couva man held after smashing glass door, injuring cop

A 65-year-old man from Dow Village in California, Couva, has been detained by Chaguanas police for smashing a glass door at a barbershop and injuring an off-duty policeman.

The incident occurred around 10 pm on March 18, and as of the afternoon of March 23, the suspect had not been formally charged.

According to the police, WPCs Maraj and Ramkissoon, along with PC Singh, all in uniform, were on mobile patrol in a marked police vehicle when they responded to a report of a disturbance at D&K Barbershop.

The victim, an off-duty policeman residing in Chaguanas and assigned to the San Juan police station, reported that at about 9.45 pm, he entered the barbershop at Montrose Main Road, Chaguanas.

A man, whom he did not know, picked up a brick and smashed the shop's glass door. The brick struck the policeman, causing him to fall to the ground and sustain minor injuries.

The policeman tried to pursue the suspect, who was already outside the barbershop.

However, the suspect cut his head on the broken glass door as he fled. The policeman continued to chase the suspect, who ran a short distance before being subdued by bystanders.

The suspect was subsequently taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre, and later transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, where he remained under police guard.

WPC Maraj is leading the investigation.