A MAN described by police as a known kidnapping and robbery offender was killed in a shootout with officers in Tabaquite early on January 25.

Initial reports said officers of the Central Division's extortion unit were searching for Ronnie Alexander, 40, of Laventille in the Tabaquite area.

Newsday understands a shootout between the suspect and officers at a house along Motta Street shortly before 6 am.

Alexander was injured in the exchange and taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility where he was pronounced dead.

Alexander is now the sixth person to be killed by police this month, during the state of emergency which was declared on December 30, last year.

In the first incident on January 21, three suspected robbers were killed in an alleged shootout with Central Division officers after a robbery at Da Hua supermarket on the corner of Welcome Road and Ragoonanan Road, Cunupia.

In an unrelated incident, Shakeem Nickie also known as Fabi, 22 was shot dead by police on January 22 at Eastern Quarry, Laventille. Police responding to a report of a man being chopped in Dan Kelly, Eastern Quarry, Laventille claimed they saw Nickie attacking the man. Nickie was shot once in the torso and declared dead at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

One day later, an unidentified man was killed in a shootout with police in Claxton Bay.

Police said Central Division Task Force officers were on patrol on January 23 when, around 9 pm, they received a tip-off about gunmen in a blue Hyundai H100 van along Dump Road.

Officers tried to intercept the van but claimed they were shot at. Officers returned fire, hitting the suspect. An AR-15 rifle was seized in that operation.

The victim was taken to the Couva Health Facility where he was pronounced dead.

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