Police round up eight suspects in murder of senior police officer

Police have arrested eight suspects in the murder of Acting Superintendent Joel Nedd, 57, who was shot and killed outside his home in Couva Monday night.

Nedd had served in the police service for more than 40 years service. Police reports say he was confronted by two gunmen who tried to steal the officer's car. He was shot during a struggle with his assailants and died shortly afterwards.

Police said the killers fled in Nedd's Almera car, which was found abandoned Tuesday morning.

Nedd was due to retire next year. He was assigned to the Guard and Emergency Branch, Port-of-Spain, and had previously served in Central Division and as a drill instructor at the Police Training College.

He was also an archbishop in the Spiritual Baptist Faith. “He is a big loss to the Baptist community and a piece of jewel,” Archbishop Barbara Gray-Burke, of the Council of Elders-Spiritual of the Shouter Baptist Faith told the Trinidad Guardian.

“We had expectations he would have done a lot. He was loved by one and all in the Baptist community. We are in mourning over his death. It has everyone devastated,” Gray-Burke told the paper.

National Security Minister John Sandy called the policeman's death a great tragedy. Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs, who visited the crime scene, extended his condolences to the family.