GEN. TINIO, Nueva Ecija—A police officer and a suspected drug pusher were killed in a buy bust operation that turned into a shootout in Barangay Pias here Monday night.
Chief Inspector Adriano Gabriel, town police chief, identified the slain police officer as PO1 Mariano Emmanuel Caparas, who succumbed to a bullet wound in his chest.
Caparas was declared dead on arrival at the Medicare Community Hospital here.
The drug suspect, identified as Albert Gutierrez, a resident of Barangay Pias, died on the spot.
Gabriel said the suspect fired at the policeman at the onset of the drug deal, “hitting him in his chest.” He said this prompted the back-up police personnel to retaliate.
Recovered from the suspect were a gun, one sachet of suspected shabu and a motorcycle.F
Follow-up investigation showed the cal .9mm used by the suspect was a government-issued firearm stolen from a policeman’s vehicle in Cabiao town last July 14. (Marilyn Galang/PNA)
