In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, a senseless act of violence at a southern Trinidad and Tobago police station left a decorated 15-year veteran officer dead and triggered a massive manhunt after more than 60 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition were stolen from the facility’s secure strong room.
Thirty-eight-year-old Anuska Eversley, an acting corporal with the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS), was found fatally shot in the neck by a colleague just after 4:40 a.m. at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station, located on King’s Wharf along Lady Hailes Avenue. The fellow officer, returning to the station’s charge room after an absence, discovered the space dark, the strong room ajar, and blood seeping from Eversley’s dormitory quarters, where her half-clothed body lay on a mattress. She had last been seen alive just before 11 p.m. Saturday while on duty.
The brutal killing has sent waves of grief and shock through the officer’s family, her colleagues, and the Trinidad and Tobago public. Grieving relatives gathered at the cordoned-off crime scene Sunday morning, weeping openly as one heartbroken relative cried out, “WHY Father, why?” in anguish over the loss.
Within hours of the discovery, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro confirmed that a serving police officer had been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the attack, and all officers who were on shift with Eversley the night of the killing would be required to provide formal statements as part of the investigation. Addressing reporters at a press briefing at the Southern Division headquarters in San Fernando, Guevarra called the incident an immediate top priority for law enforcement, and spoke candidly about the heartbreak that would come from one of their own being involved.
“I would be very disheartened that an officer, sworn to protect the rights of citizens and uphold the laws of Trinidad and Tobago, could do something so heinous to one of his officers,” he said.
Initial official inventories of the stolen arsenal confirm attackers made off with 52 Glock pistols, six shotguns, four MPX-style rifles, and more than 4,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition. A multi-agency investigative response has been launched, involving homicide detectives from Homicide Region III, tactical teams from the Inter-Agency Task Force, the Multi-Option Police Section, the Southern Division Task Force, and air and coastal support units. Crime scene investigators have already begun processing the site, collecting forensic evidence and conducting fingerprint analysis, and the station remains on lockdown as the probe progresses.
Commissioner Guevarro told reporters Sunday that investigators have not uncovered any evidence to suggest the attack was a coordinated targeted strike on law enforcement by an external criminal group, adding that no further details would be released while the investigation is active. When asked about the massive security breach that allowed the weapons to be stolen from the station’s secure storage, Guevarro said all gaps would be uncovered during the investigation and the incident would serve as a learning moment to improve future security protocols.
Assistant Commissioner of Municipal Police Surrendra Sagramsingh clarified that approximately seven officers were scheduled for the overnight shift from Saturday to Sunday, though several were deployed to outlying substations, leaving roughly five officers on-site at the San Fernando main station. He confirmed that Eversley was not alone on the premises when she was killed, contradicting early unconfirmed reports that she had been working the overnight shift by herself.
Addressing public anxiety over the stolen weapons cache and the brazen attack on a police facility, Guevarro moved quickly to reassure the public that the incident is an isolated one, and that there is no cause for undue panic. He emphasized that existing emergency powers granted under the current state of emergency are sufficient for law enforcement to respond effectively, and that there are no plans to implement new curfews or expand emergency measures at this time.
“Let them know that of the resolve of the law enforcement, not just the TTPS or the municipal police,” Guevarro said, speaking directly to the perpetrators. “We will not sit idly by and allow this sweet country of Trinidad and Tobago to be overrun by any criminality behaviour. We have less than 500 serious criminals in this country holding 1.4 million persons to ransom; we will not allow that to happen, rest assured.”
Guevarro extended official condolences to Eversley’s family, friends, and colleagues, noting that the 15-year veteran left her home Saturday night to serve the public, and ultimately made the ultimate sacrifice for her community. “She lost her life while on duty. She had parents and she had children. I urge us all to take cognisance of the fact that police officers make the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.
As of Sunday evening, investigations remain ongoing, with law enforcement working to recover all stolen firearms and bring all those responsible for Eversley’s killing to justice.