A 29-year-old Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) officer remains fighting for his life in intensive care after being gunned down during a armed response operation in southern Trinidad late Friday, prompting an urgent public appeal for O-positive blood donations to support his emergency treatment.
Acting Police Constable Alex Koon Koon, a five-year veteran assigned to the Mon Repos Police Station, was injured during a confrontation with an armed suspect in the La Romaine community on 4 April. Koon Koon was part of a team of Southern Division officers dispatched to La Plaisance Road following a credible public tip that a man was openly carrying a firearm while seated on the outdoor gallery of a local residence.
The team arrived at the scene at approximately 10:50 p.m. As Koon Koon stepped out of the marked police vehicle, multiple gunshots erupted from the direction of the gallery. The officer was struck in the left abdomen, and the suspect immediately fled the property before law enforcement could detain him.
First responders rushed Koon Koon to San Fernando General Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to address life-threatening internal damage. Senior law enforcement officials confirmed the officer suffered severe trauma to his spleen and one lung, and he has remained in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit in critical condition in the days following the shooting.
While the initial attempt to apprehend the suspect at the scene failed, investigative teams have made early progress in the case. As of the latest updates, three people—two men and one woman—have been taken into police custody and are assisting officers with their ongoing inquiry.
Top TTPS leadership has publicly reaffirmed the service’s commitment to bringing all responsible parties to justice, and expressed solidarity with the injured officer and his family. Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro visited Koon Koon at the hospital, met with his relatives, and extended official prayers and well wishes on behalf of the entire police service for a full and speedy recovery.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Suzette Martin, who is overseeing the investigation, framed the attack not just as an assault on law enforcement, but on public safety and the rule of law. “When a police officer is shot in the line of duty, it strikes at the very heart of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the rule of law we are sworn to uphold. This is not just an attack on the TTPS, but on the safety and security of every law-abiding citizen,” Martin said in the official media statement.
Martin emphasized that the violent incident would not weaken the service’s resolve to protect communities. “Let me be clear—this incident will not deter us. The TTPS is actively pursuing a thorough and comprehensive investigation, and we will intensify our operations, follow every lead, and bring those responsible to justice,” she said. “We remain resolute, unwavering, and relentless in our mission to protect and serve, and we will not allow those bent on disrupting our society to succeed.”
Members of the public have stepped in to support Koon Koon’s recovery via a widespread social media campaign calling for voluntary blood donations. Appeals direct potential donors to the blood bank at San Fernando General Hospital, with a specific request for donors with O-positive blood, the type most urgently needed for the officer’s ongoing treatment.
Social media posts shared across local platforms highlight the critical difference every donation can make. “Help PC Koon Koon in his fight for his recovery,” one widely shared appeal reads. “Please give blood to help save his life,” it adds, noting that every contribution directly supports the officer as he fights to pull through.