HE SAVED a life by giving his own.
A policeman was shot and killed in order to protect a community after a man with a gun was terrorizing the neighborhood.
Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Antonio Broce Jr. of Victorias City Police Office, who was already off duty, responded to a call for assistance at Barangay 21 in Victorias City, Negros Occidental on Sunday.
The unsuspecting police officer came to the rescue of a civilian, who was just shot by the gunman identified as Richard Artagame.
The civilian, who sustained a lone gunshot wound on his stomach, was in critical condition.
The suspect, a native of E.B. Magalona and residing in Victorias City, was armed with a .45 caliber pistol. He was believed to be drunk. He was also threatening the residents in the area.
The responding off-duty cop was shot by the suspect twice while he was just approaching the area.
He never fired back because the suspect acted aggressively.
Broce was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.
Responding policemen later on arrested the suspect who tried to escape.
Hope is still not lost.
While there are many police scalawags, there are still those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of others.
Broce was already off-duty. He doesn’t have to answer the call or walk out of the door. He could have turned his back on those who need his help. He could have. But he didn’t.
He knew the badge doesn’t come off when he goes home to his family – it’s 24 hours, seven days a week.