A shocking act of violence has claimed the life of a senior Information Technology manager with Trinidad and Tobago’s Police Complaints Authority, after a gunman ambushed him in a public parking lot Wednesday evening.
The victim has been formally identified as 38-year-old Sa-id Khan, a resident of St Augustine and father of two who had separated from his wife. The fatal attack unfolded shortly after 8 p.m., as Khan sat inside his Honda Vezel SUV parked outside a local insurance company along Caroni Savannah Road in Charlieville.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the attacker opened fire directly on the vehicle, shattering the front windscreen and side windows before fleeing the scene. Khan was struck multiple times by gunfire and was pronounced dead at the location by first responders. By Thursday morning, officers had cordoned off the entire crime scene to process forensic evidence, but a thorough search of the surrounding area had not yielded any suspects, and the underlying motive for the killing remains unconfirmed.
In an interview with local outlet *Express* on Thursday, Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West shared an emotional tribute to Khan, who had only joined the independent oversight body six months prior to the attack. West described Khan as a warm, skilled professional who integrated seamlessly into the authority’s team, noting that “everybody loved him. He was a genuine guy, who enjoyed his work; very professional. He was a joy to be around.”
Before joining the PCA, an independent civilian oversight body established by Parliament to monitor police conduct, Khan held a position at National Flour Mills. When asked whether the murder could be connected to his role at the authority, West clarified that Khan’s work focused exclusively on managing the organization’s IT systems, and he had no direct involvement with any ongoing oversight cases. “I can’t comment on that, but he’s the IT manager so he doesn’t have any direct dealings with any case,” West said.
West added that the PCA had not been informed of any active leads in the investigation as of Thursday, and extended the organization’s full condolences to Khan’s bereaved family. “On behalf of the Police Complaints Authority, we’re very sorry to lose an employee in that manner, in that fashion. We wish his family all the best to cope and recover,” he said.
West also used the incident to highlight the persistent challenge of violent crime in the country, adding, “just to know that crime is very high in Trinidad and Tobago, and I wish everybody just to be careful and safe out there.”
As of this week, the national murder toll in Trinidad and Tobago stands at 184, a slight decrease from the 187 recorded over the same period last year.