Rookie cop critically injured in melee

A rookie policeman was critically injured and is fighting for his life in a hospital after he reportedly was involved in a melee and tried to shoot it out with a fellow policeman who responded to a distress call before dawn yesterday in Caloocan City.

POI Michael Salvador, assigned at the Northern Police District Mobile Force, is confined at the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital due to a single gunshot wound and multiple hack and stab wounds.

At about 2:30 a.m. yesterday, a fracas reportedly occurred on a parking lot at Block 24, Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City among groups of drunk men. PO1 Angelito Pino of Caloocan’s Mobile Patrol Division who was called to pacify the warring groups fired a shot in the air after introducing himself as a lawman to quell the rumble. But one of the unruly men, who later turned out to be Salvador, reportedly fired at Pino prompting the latter to shoot back hitting Salvador in the body. As Pino was about to disarm the wounded Salvador, another man identified as Jason Garbon, allegedly attacked the alwman with a knife but Pino was able to maim his attacker by shooting him in the leg.

Garbon, who also sustained a hack wound in the left arm aside from a mangled left leg, is also confined at the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital.

Police probers recovered from the crime scene a .45 caliber pistol with its magazine loaded with seven bullets, three spent shells and a 9 mm slug , one .45 caliberspent shell and a double bladed knife.

The recovered evidence was brought to the NPD Crime Laboratory while Pino was disarmed and placed under restriction at the Caloocan police station while the case is still being investigated.