An arrested bakery robber has been shot dead inside a police station for grabbing the gun of an officer.
Jose L. Palmares Jr., 33, was rushed to the hospital after he was shot but was declared dead on arrival, Quezon City Police District Director Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III said Sunday.
“A police officer was guarding the suspect when the suspect grabbed the firearm of another cop. So our police were forced to shoot him,” Torre told the Daily Tribune.
“We didn’t want to kill that person, but we had to. We took him to the hospital, but (he) was declared dead on arrival by attending doctors.”
Before he was killed, Palmares robbed a bakery along Congressional Avenue in Culiat, Quezon City around 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Palmares stabbed the cashier of the bakery who tried to fight him off with a tong and left taking away the bakery’s earnings and a mobile phone.
Palmares was caught by police in a follow-up operation in Culiat Sunday morning and taken into custody.
Quezon City Police Station 14 Commander Lt. Col. May Genio said while the suspect was undergoing booking procedure, he suddenly grabbed the service firearm of Staff Sgt. Juderick Latao, resulting in a scuffle.
Maj. Jun Fortunato reacted in defense of his colleague by shooting the suspect.