Cop accidentally shoots armed man

CEBU, Philippines - A 30-year-old man was shot dead after he tried to hack a responding police officer yesterday morning in Barangay Apo, Argao town.

Isidro Fuentes, died after he sustained a chest wound from an M-16 armalite riffle fired by Police Officer 2 Howard Maynopas of Argao Police Station.  Senior Inspector Alejandro Batobalonos, Argao Police Station chief, said that past 10 a.m. yesterday, they received a report of a ‘rowdy’ man with a scythe who was later identified as Fuentes.

Fuentes allegedly tried to hack two residents, a certain JR and Raymond, who were butchering a pig. The two luckily were able to escape.

After they received the report, PO3 Jose Palmero and PO2 Howard Maynopas responded to Fuentes’ house to talk to him.

When they arrived, Fuentes was inside his house but was reportedly rowdy and the police asked him to calm down. However, he allegedly told Maynopas “imo gyod kong sukdon?”

Batobalonos said that Maynopas stepped back when Fuentes tried to hack him, but the police stumbled and fell to the ground and accidentally squeezed the trigger hitting Fuentes in his chest.

“Niatras si Maynopas pero nasabod iyang tiil sigig atras kay dulhogon man ning lugar pagkatumba niya nakablitan niya ang M-16. Imbis sa tiil gipunting didto naigo sa iyang dughan,” Batobalonos said.

The bullet pierced through Fuentes’ chest and exited back. Maynopas and Palmero brought Fuentes to the Isidro C. Kintanar Memorial Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. 

Apart from the scythe which Fuentes allegedly used to hack the police officer, recovered from his possession was a chisel and scissors tucked in the suspect’s waistline.

Fuentes’ mother told Batobalonos that her son had been suffering from depression stemmed from drug abuse.

According to Batobalonos, the mother said she even feared that her son would harm her.

Fuentes’ mother told the police that her son used to take medicine but when he noticed that he felt weak, he stopped taking the medications.

The family of Fuentes told Batobalonos that they do not plan to file charges against Maynopas. — (FREEMAN)