Thursday, May 31, 2007 Cop shot as neighbors foil arrest of suspect
A POLICEMAN was shot when a buy-bust operation turned ugly in Mandaue City last Tuesday afternoon.
Officers from Police Station 1 were aiming to arrest a certain Tads in Upper Malibu, Barangay Subangdaku through a buy-bust operation but the suspect fled just as money and a substance believed to be shabu changed hands.
According to the police report, Tads managed to escape even if he was handcuffed.
PO2 Joseph Andrin tried to call for backup when neighbors of the suspect rescued the latter.
Neighbors ganged up on Andrin after someone pointed to him as one of the police operatives.
Andrin grabbed his service firearm to prevent the people from taking it.
According to PO2 Raniel Cartin, a shot was fired but nobody knew who pulled the trigger.
Andrin was shot in the left leg.
Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) Director Alexander Abadinas said yesterday that Tads was already under the custody of the police but managed to escape.
Abadinas expressed his disappointment with the civilians who tried to protect Tads from the authorities. Fight criminals and not the police, he urged them.
Station 1 Police Chief Abraham Ocampo said that the people weren’t able to get Andrin’s firearm.
Citing his experience when he was also shot, Abadinas said he knows that Andrin needs financial help for his hospital expenses. Andrin reportedly has a fractured leg as a result of the shooting and needs to undergo an operation.
Abadinas arranged for the release of some P10,000 from the Police Regional Office 7 as initial assistance. He also asked personnel of the MCPO to contribute from their own pockets to help Andrin.
“This was a legitimate operation. Wa man naghubog-hubog (He wasn’t drunk),” Abadinas pointed out.
Cartin, who was also in last Tuesday’s buy-bust operation, said in a separate interview that Tads is known to be a big-time drug pusher in Upper Malibu.
Cartin said that Andrin was a good distance from the group after Tads was arrested, that’s why the people were able to gang up on him.
Aside from the gunshot wound, Andrin suffered bruises in his head and arms.
Abadinas said that a complaint can be filed against Tads even if he is still at large. (AAG)
