Detainee killed during escape attempt; Catanduanes cops charged

Four police officers in Catanduanes are now facing homicide charges over the death of a detainee who reportedly attempted to escape during transport, the Del Gallego, Camarines Sur Police said Tuesday.

“Ang nag-file ng complaint po ay si wife niya po at dalawang anak po (The complainants were the wife and two children of the deceased detainee),” Del Gallego Police chief Police Captain Bernie Undecimo said in a phone interview with reporters.

According to the police, the four personnel from the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office were transporting two detainees, including the victim identified as Michael Echague, from Pasig City to Catanduanes on February 6.

Their vehicle stopped on Rolando Andaya Highway as the detainees requested to urinate. 

While in handcuffs, Echague allegedly elbowed one police officer, grabbed the cop’s rifle, pointed it toward the operatives, and pulled the trigger. 

But the firearm did not discharge as it was not loaded so the detainee fled from the scene, according to the police.

“The suspect was subsequently pursued by police personnel. Upon reaching a bushy ravine approximately one (1) kilometer away from the vehicle, the suspect was seen in a kneeling position, aiming the seized rifle toward the pursuing officers, who were then seeking cover,” Police Regional Office 5 said.

“Fearing for their safety, the police officers responded by firing their issued pistols, which resulted in the suspect sustaining gunshot wounds in different parts of his body,” it added.

An autopsy report indicated Echague sustained three gunshot wounds to the shoulder and chest.

The involved police personnel were taken into custody and their firearms were secured amid the investigation.

Paraffin tests were conducted on the involved cops and the two detainees but all yielded negative results, which authorities said may have been affected by rain and wind conditions during the incident. —VAL, GMA Integrated News