Suspect, in attack of trike driver, shoots, wounds responding cop

A bullet grazed the head of a policeman who was responding to a shooting alarm at the corner of Buhisan Road and F. Llamas streets in barangay Punta Princesa yesterday dawn.

The wounded policeman was PO2 Richard Tagadiad, of the Punta Princesa Police station, who was with team leader SPO1 Rodulfo Guarin, PO3 Allan Batobalonos, and PO1 Baby Realen.

Tagadiad was treated at Miller Hospital and was sent home. His colleagues failed to arrest the alleged gunman, Jeffrey Cebedo of Malaubang, Ozamiz City, but got Excelso Villavelez instead, a companion of Cebedo during the police fracas.

Homicide investigator SPO2 Rey Cuyos said that Tagadiad and the team were responding to a shooting alarm at Punta Princesa when they came across Villavelez and Cebedo, who scampered while shooting at the policemen.

Cebedo was reportedly involved in a shooting incident earlier along with 28-year-old Sherwin Abella dela Cerna, of Guadalupe Village in the same barangay.

Cebedo and Dela Cerna allegedly attacked 25-year-old tricycle driver Mark Bert Ramirez for refusing to give them money for liquor.

The two allegedly mauled Ramirez first with a steel pipe, then one of them stabbed the driver many times before shooting him with a still undertermined caliber of firearm.

Ramirez was taken by his friends to the Cebu City Medical Center while the suspects casually left the scene.

When Tagadiad and other policemen were about to reach the place, they met Cebedo who was with another companion, Villavelez. There were no reports on the whereabouts of Dela Cerna however. - Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE