Electrician wounded in shootout with cops

A 39-year-old man was wounded after allegedly shooting it out with responding policemen along M. Velez Street in sitio Banawa, barangay Guadalupe, yesterday afternoon.

A few minutes before the incident the police received a call from a policeman asking for backup regarding an armed person who threatened lawyer Rico Tautho.

Tautho told the police that he was passing by the area when he saw Joel Sedentario, 39, of barangay Ihawan, Danao City, and recognized him as the one who promised to repair his CD component three months ago.

He approached the suspect and asked about his component and Sedentario told him that the said item is still in his house.  Tautho said when he insisted on accompanying the suspect home to get his component back the man got upset and said Tautho accused him of theft.

Tautho asked the suspect to accompany him to the police station to settle the issue, but the suspect reportedly bragged to him that he had gun, prompting Tautho to frisk him but found nothing.

When the suspect stepped back, Tautho was surprised that Sedentario was already holding a gun and pointing it at him forcing him to flee and find cover, the suspect immediately got on a passing jeepney crossing V. Rama Ave. towards Banawa.

Tautho asked for help from PO1 Neil Manonsong who was assigned nearby for help.  The policemen immediately called for backup and Insp. Rex Campos, who was patrolling in a police car, and PO1 Alowin Suquib, a policeman on field training in Banawa, responded to the call.

Meanwhile, Sedentario transferred to another jeepney and sent passengers scampering off after they saw that he was armed with a gun.

Campos arrived and tried to convince the suspect to lay down the gun and surrender but the suspect instead shot at the policeman twice but missed, forcing Campos to take cover.

When the suspect again tried to shoot, Campos and Suquib opened fire and he was hit in the right side of the body.  Sedentario was taken to the Cebu City Medical Center and is now out of danger.

Police recovered a homemade .38 cal. revolver from the suspect. -Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP