Trinidad: Only months on the job, prison officer gunned down

Stephon Richardson
Stephon Richardson

(Trinidad Express) A prison officer with just a few months of service was shot and killed outside his home at Princes Town last night.

Stephon Richardson, 28, of Third Company, Indian Walk, was shot five times by the occupants of a vehicle that drove past his house.

Richardson collapsed and died at the scene.

Acting Commissioner of Prisons Dennis Pulchan condemned the killing of the young officer, whom he said graduated from training college four months ago.

Last month, another police officer was shot and killed at his home.

Sherwin Francis, 48, was at his home at Oasis Greens, Chaguanas, when three men entered the premises and killed him.

Pulchan said, “We are searching for clues that will tell us if this is job-related or external. We are going to examine all possibilities, and it too early to make a judgement call in this. I condemn the killing of this young officer who has recently passed out from training college and is working at the Remand. This is a batch that recently passed out in June. It was just months that he passed out from training college. I am totally disgusted at this killing.”

“Mr Francis also work-ed at the Remand Prison and we buried him recently. And tonight, it’s Mr Richardson. There seems to be a pattern emanating from Remand Yard. I will be pursing the investigation”, said the acting Prisons Commissioner.

Officers of Homicide Region III, Princes Town CID and Southern Division Task Force responded to the scene.