A 26-year-old man was shot and killed by police during a controlled anti-extortion operation in Tunapuna on Thursday afternoon, after officers said he pointed a firearm at them while collecting marked cash from a businessman.

The dead man has been identified as Jaden Pierre, of Hibiscus Drive, Edinburgh 500.

In a statement yesterday, police said the operation was conducted by officers of the Anti-Extortion Unit (AEU), with support from the Home Invasion Team (HIT), following reports from a business owner who claimed he had been repeatedly extorted over the past three weeks.