PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Trinidad and Tobago police were searching for an un-named ex-prisoner who allegedly shot and killed a prison officer mere days before he celebrated his 47th birthday.

Police said that Richard Sandy was shot in the presence of witnesses at a bar in Gasparillo on Saturday night and died Sunday at the San Fernando General Hospital.

Police said Sandy, 46 was at a bar on Saturday night when he was approached by a man who was recently released from prison. The killer, who was identified by witnesses, pointed the gun at Sandy, uttered words and fired.

His wife, Jennifer Sandy, said that her husband had several months ago received a letter from an inmate threatening his life. However, she said the authorities accused him of setting up the prisoner to write the letter.

“How could somebody set up somebody to write a threatening letter saying they coming to rape and kill your wife and children and murder you? And they just discard it and they never did anything about it, the prison,” she told reporters on Sunday.

She said her husband left with their neighbour, who is also a prison officer, to have a pre-birthday drinks, ahead of his birthday on Tuesday. Sandy, a father of five, was prison officer for the past 22 years, was last attached to the Port of Spain Prison.

President of the Prison Officers Association (POA), Ceron Richards, reiterated a call for the government to take swift action to protect the lives of prison officers and all law enforcement officers.