Highlights
- The Riot 12:15 pm on Tue 17 Mar at the Golden Grove Prison
- TTPS was called in to quell the disturbance
- Due to COVID-19 there are no Trial Dates and lock down of the courts. This caused the prisoners to riot
- It took three hours for the TTPS to get it under control using non lethal weapons
- Two Prison Officers and two prisoners were injured and taken for medical care.
MEDIA RELEASE
TTPS Officers Assist with Quelling Riot at the Golden Grove Prison
Police were called out and assisted prison officers in quelling a riot at the Remand Yard of the Golden Grove State Prison this afternoon, Tuesday 17th March 2020.
Acting Commissioner of Prisons, Dennis Pulchan, sought the assistance of the TTPS after two prison officers were injured by prisoners at the South Wing of the Prison.
Several units within the TTPS under the command of acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jayson Forde, went into the prison and assisted in bringing order in the Remand Sections.
Officers of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT), Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB), Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Northern Division Task Force (NDTF), North-Eastern Division Task Force (NEDTF), Port of Spain Division Task Force (POSTF), and Northern Division Criminal Investigations Department (NDCID), were present and active in assisting the officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service with quelling a riot at the southern wing also known as the Remand Section the prison today, Tuesday 17th March 2020.
The incident started sometime at around 12.15 pm and involved over 250 prisoners who claimed there are oppressive conditions in the prison as the courts are on lockdown because of the COVID 19 (coronavirus) and they were left without trial dates.
About three hours later, the officers were able to get the situation under control, using non-lethal weapons such as tasers, pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets.
During the riot, a Senior Superintendent of Prisons and Supt of Prisons, as well as two prisoners, sustained injuries and were taken for medical attention.
PLEASE SEE ACCOMPANYING PHOTOS
Corporate Communications Unit
March 17th, 2020