BUSINESSMAN Enrico “Rico” Dionson, owner of the famed Rico’s Lechon, was arrested and detained for allegedly shooting a police officer who was responding to a trouble alarm along Leyson St., Barangay Talamban, Cebu City before dawn yesterday.
P02 Junbert Acosta, 29, of the Talamban Police Station accused 50-year-old Dionson, a resident of Talamban, of shooting him. Acosta, though, was not hit.
Dionson, who was at the Homicide Section talking to his lawyers, declined to comment on the allegation.
Lawyer Noel Archival, one of his lawyers, said Dionson may issue a statement today.
A team from the Homicide Section led by SP04 Alex Dacua investigated the incident.
Trouble
According to Dacua’s investigation, Acosta was awakened by his mother past 2 a.m. and informed about a trouble happening nearby.
Acosta went out of the house and boarded his motorcycle to respond.
Acosta told Dacua’s team that when he arrived on Leyson St., Dionson and his companions blocked him.
Dionson allegedly attempted to take Acosta by the neck while saying in Cebuano: “Were you among those who stabbed my nephew?”
Acosta said he pushed Dionson and told the latter that he is a policeman and was there to verify the reported trouble alarm.
Acosta said he saw Dionson pull out a gun, prompting him to also draw his firearm while taking cover at a parked vehicle nearby.
Dionson reportedly ran away while shooting Acosta many times. Acosta said he was not hit and that he managed to fire a warning shot.
Acosta recovered two empty shells, which reportedly came from the .45 pistol of Dionson, a holster and a deformed slug.
A team from the Talamban Police Station and operatives from the Special Weapons and Tactics team arrived in the area and assisted Acosta in pursuing Dionson.
Acosta and other police officers went to Dionson’s house but did not find him there.
The police found Dionson at the Talamban Police Station, when they arrived after the hot pursuit operation.
Acosta, according to the blotter at the police station, placed Dionson under arrest.
It was not, however, stated in the police blotter what Dionson was doing inside the police station.
A policeman, whom Sun.Star Cebu spoke with over the telephone, said there was no blotter report about Dionson being the complainant.
Dionson is temporarily detained at the stockade of the Cebu City Police Office while Acosta said he will be filing a complaint of frustrated homicide against the businessman.