(Trinidad Guardian) A 43-year-old Barataria man was killed by a grocery owner yesterday evening, after he attempted to rob the man’s business along the Eastern Main Road, Barataria.
The alleged bandit was later identified as Brian Simmons.
According to police reports, around 4.30 pm, Simmons, of Fifth Street, walked into the Nick City Supermarket armed with a semi-automatic pistol and attempted to rob the cashier. However, the Chinese owner of the business, who was monitoring the grocery floor from upstairs, saw what was taking place. He took up his licensed gun, went downstairs, confronted Simmons and opened fire.
The startled bandit ran out of the grocery, collapsed on the roadway and died.
Head of the North Eastern Division Task Force, Snr Supt Radcliffe Boxhill, Supt Palloo, other officers from the division and members of the Homicide Bureau responded to the scene.
Boxhill later thanked his colleagues and the CSI for processing the scene within two hours.
Speaking with reporters at the scene yesterday, Simmons’ daughter, Sarafina Simmons, said her father never told her he was in desperate need of money. She added, however, that he always would complain that people were owing him money.
Simmons said she was unaware that her father was involved in any criminality and that yesterday’s shooting was a shock to her.
“He never tell me he needed money. I don’t know what happened, he was not that type of person,” Simmons said.
Police say a loaded 9 mm was found near Simmons’ body after he died.
Passersby were heard saying that Simmons “looked for that,” adding that he should not have gone after “fast money.” Some onlookers praised the business owner and called on more businessmen to arm themselves to protect their property, noting bandits had been on a rampage in recent months.
Yesterday’s incident was the opposite of what took place at another Chinese grocery in Curepe earlier this year. In that incident it was the owner who was killed while his attackers managed to escape.
On April 7, Hi Hong Huang, 35, was fatally shot as he struggled with two bandits during a robbery outside his business, Happiness Supermarket, along the Southern Main Road. CCTV footage revealed he was shot by one of the men as he attempted to wrestle with another to prevent them from escaping with a box containing approximately $500,000. Four people, two men and two women, have been held for the robbery and murder and are now before the courts.
