Thursday, June 19, 2008 Grenade-welding bus passenger who stabs cop, killed
A POLICEMAN was wounded when he tried to disarm a bus passenger wielding a grenade in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, a police official said Wednesday.
Despite his injury, PO2 Ronald Encarquez managed to shot the passenger identified as Carlos Padron, 36, who was armed with chisel aside from a fragmentation grenade in his possession.
Zamboanga Peninsula Police Office (ZPPO) information officer Jose Bayani Gucela, quoting a report, said the incident took place at 8:35 a.m. Sunday while the passenger bus was traveling from Josefina town to Molave municipality in Zamboanga del Sur.
Gucela said that prior to the incident, Encarquez, who boarded the bus in Josefina town on his way home to Molave municipality, has noticed Padron was carrying a fragmentation grenade.
He said Encarquez and Padron grappled for the possession of the grenade after the suspect refused to hand over the explosive.
While grappling for possession of the grenade, Padron pulled out a chisel and stabbed Encarquez prompting the policeman to pull his service firearm and shot the suspect.
Encarquez was rushed to the hospital by troops from the Army's 10th Infantry Battalion, according to Gucela.
He said the army recovered a live fragmentation grenade from Padron.
The passengers of the bus have informed the lawmen that the slain suspect has two other companions who hurriedly disembarked upon arrival of the soldiers. (Bong Garcia)
