Thursday, May 15, 2008 Suspect in shootout to face 3 complaints
FOR allegedly pointing a gun at a lawyer and shooting the responding police officers, a 39-year-old polio victim will be facing three complaints to be filed before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said Joel Sedentario will be charged with grave threats for pointing his .38 revolver at lawyer Rico Tautho.
He will also be charged with illegal possession of firearms or violation of the anti-illegal possession of firearms law for carrying an unlicensed firearm, and direct assault for refusing to surrender to the police and shooting them instead.
Shootout
Sedentario, who hails from Danao City, was injured after taking a bullet in the right side of his body during a shootout with Insp. Rex Campos of the Mobile Patrol Group and PO1 Alouin Suquib, a rookie policeman.
Campos and Suquib, beat patrol officers assigned at the Guadalupe Police Station, responded to an armed person alarm on Duterte St. in Sitio Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe. A shootout between the police and Sedentario ensued.
Prior to the incident, Sedentario allegedly pointed a gun at Tautho when the latter confronted him about the lawyer’s stereo component.
Sedentario failed to return the component, which Tautho had asked to be repaired.
Comendador said both Campos and Suquib deserve to be commended for responding promptly to the alarm.
The CCPO will also recommend to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 for the latter to give the two police officers medals, possibly the Medalya ng Kagalingan, for their exemplary performance.
Meanwhile, an unidentified man was gunned down along N. Bacalso Ave., in front of the Holy Cross Parish in Barangay Basak Pardo, Cebu City past 9 a.m. yesterday.
Unidentified
The man, who remains unidentified as of 5 p.m. yesterday, died of a gunshot wound in the back before reaching Cebu City Medical Center.
He is described to be about 25 to 30 years old, 5’4” tall, has short hair and had the name “Rey” tattooed on his left arm. He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and light brown short pants.
The lone gunman was also not identified.
The victim was reportedly standing on the road when the gunman arrived and shot him twice. One of the slugs hit the victim at the back.
SPO4 Alex Dacua, team leader of the responding investigators, said they are looking at a drug-related case as the possible motive in the killing. (JST)
