Cop who shot teen with autism sacked

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has dismissed a police officer who shot dead a teenager with autism in Valenzuela  City last May 23.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said yesterday he approved the dismissal of Sr. M/Sgt. Christopher Salcedo for shooting 18-year-old Edwin Arnigo during a raid on an illegal cockfighting game.

Eleazar kicked Salcedo from the police force following a review by the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management’s discipline, law and order division and his own office, on the recommendation of the Internal Affairs Service (IAS).

“I have signed the order for the dismissal from the service of Sr. M/Sgt Salcedo for grave misconduct and less grave irregularity in the performance of duty,” he said in a statement.

The IAS  earlier recommended a penalty of a 40-day suspension without pay for Salcedo, but Eleazar decided to impose the maximum administrative sanction against the police officer due to several factors that aggravated his offense.

Among these is that Salcedo violated police operational procedure when he arrested Arnigo even if the boy was not involved in the illegal cockfighting game.

“Being a person with autism spectrum disorder, he could not have knowingly taken part in the illegal gambling activity,” Elezar said of Arnigo.

The IAS earlier said what happened was an accident and Salcedo had no intention to kill Salcedo.

The investigating body also took into consideration the policeman’s awards and citation as mitigating factors.

Meanwhile, Eleazar cleared the four other police officers who took part in the anti-gambling operation as there was no substantive evidence to support their supposed administrative offenses.