(Trinidad Express) TV6’s Crime Watch host, Ian Alleyne, promised that a shooting incident involving his security detail and gunmen along the Beetham Highway on Thursday night will not dampen his spirits in seeking out criminal elements throughout the country.
Alleyne, his bodyguard and driver narrowly escaped serious injury when a gang of men from the Beetham Gardens blocked the pathway of his vehicle while it was proceeding east along the Beetham highway, in the vicinity of Sixth Street.
The incident occurred shortly after 7.p.m when Alleyne left the studio of CCNTV6 after the Crime Watch programme. Speaking with the Express at the Besson Street Police Station shortly after the incident, Alleyne said traffic on the highway was proceeding in a slow manner when they observed a group of men approaching his vehicle with several large objects in their hands.
The suspects tossed what appeared to be several supermarket trolleys in front of this vehicle, following which the driver attempted to avoid contact with the items.
As Alleyne’s vehicle collided with another car, a man armed with a gun approached Alleyne’s vehicle following which his bodyguard emerged from the vehicle and a shootout ensued.
Alleyne said, “I ducked for cover inside the vehicle and allowed my security personnel, who are the professionals, to do their job until the shooting ended. There were about five or six suspects who were all bareback.”
“I’d tell you this, that will not deter me. We’ll go after the men and we will find every one of them who did this disrespectful act. One must understand that this is the dance you’re in. This is the game you’re playing and you live in this every day but it just goes to show that these guys they have no respect but I’m not afraid and I’m glad nothing happened to the driver and my bodyguard but we’ll still go after them,” Alleyne said.
He was also thankful for the response of officers from the port of Spain Division Task Force including Insp Sahadeo Singh, Cpls Charles Budri Donavon Thompson of the Besson Street CID, who responded to the shooting.
This is not the first time Alleyne’s security detail was engaged in a shootout with unknown assailants. On July 15, a Nissan Almera motor car which was used to transport Alleyne was shot at along Rivulet Road, Couva.
At the time of the incident, Alleyne was not in the vehicle and a member of his security detail who was driving the vehicle was reportedly engaged in a shootout with the suspects. No one was injured in the shooting.
Insp Singh and Cpl Budri are probing the incident.
