A drug trafficking suspect who attempted to grab a policeman’s gun was shot in his hand and foot.
Police said the incident occurred at around 10 am Saturday when Cpl Reid and a team of Gasparillo police officers were on patrol along Sancho Road in Poonah Village, Whiteland. They saw the 43-year-old man walking through a garden with a white plastic bag in his hand. When he saw the officers, the suspect dropped the bag and ran off. The officers chased him to a makeshift camp and when they attempted to arrest him the suspect grabbed at one of the officers’ pistol which was holstered.
During the struggle, two shots were fired and the suspect was struck in his wrist and left ankle. He was taken to the Gasparillo Police Station and handed over to paramedics who took him to the San Fernando General Hospital where he is warded in stable condition.
When officers searched the suspect’s bag, they found 1050 grammes of marijuana. A fully grown marijuana tree was also found near the camp where he was arrested.
The suspect is expected to be charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, resisting arrest and assault.
Police said they detained a murder suspect during an exercise carried out by the Southern Division operational units co-ordinated by Snr Supt Zamsheed Mohammed, ASP Ali Mohammed, Insp Don Gajadhar and Insp Steve Persad. The exercise involved raids and roadblocks in the Marabella, Embacadere and Debe communities.
At around 1 am Saturday, highway patrol officers set up a roadblock in Gandhi Village, Debe, and intercepted a car occupied by three men. They searched the vehlcle and found a .9 mm Beretta pistol. One of the men was being sought by the CID and all three were in custody up to last night.
In Embacadere at around midnight, Sgt Ramroop, PC George and PC Crawford searched several homes and arrested several people in connection with recent shootings. One suspect was held with a .9 mm Beretta pistol. He is a suspect in a shooting that occurred two weeks ago near a San Fernando magistrate’s home.
