His shirt covered in blood, a suspect is placed under guard at the back of a police pick up truck following his arrest at the HDC Embacadere Buildings where he sought refuge after allegedly shooting two police officers yesterday afternoon
Police yesterday mounted a land, aerial and sea search for four criminals who shot two police officers after they responded to a report of a robbery and arrested suspects in San Fernando.
Last night, Sgt Hayden Manwarring, 43, of Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas, remained warded in a critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery at the San Fernando General Hospital. Manwarring, who has 18 years service, was shot once in the chest at point blank range with his 380 Baretta pistol.
His colleague, PC Nicholas Phillip, 29, of Daisy Street, Siparia, also suffered a gunshot wound to his right forearm and a bullet graze to his head. He was said to be in a stable condition at hospital last night.
The shooting triggered a massive lockdown of the south city as Southern, Central and South Western Division officers co-ordinated one of the biggest manhunts for the year. After four hours, all four suspects were arrested.
One suspect, of Tableland, was found covered in blood hiding in the corridors of Building One at Embacadere, San Fernando, around 5 pm, while another, of Princes Town, was nabbed close to the sea.
The third suspect, also of Princes Town, was found sitting in a white SUV in the San Fernando General Hospital’s car park. The fourth was also captured at Embacadere around 6.30 pm.
A senior police officer said around 2 pm, Manwarring and a party of officers responded to a report of a robbery at Mom’s Diner on Cipero Street, San Fernando. A distress call was made but the thieves escaped in a white AD wagon.
However, Manwarring’s team intercepted the getaway car close to Rahamut’s Service Station at Cross Crossing. Attendant Sham Sookram said, “The police put them (suspects) to lie down and then took them away.” However, the officers reportedly followed more suspects at Padmore Street, where there was an exchange of gunfire. During this melee, one of the men wrestled away Manwarring’s gun and shot him in the chest. Phillip was also shot but managed to call for backup. The suspects then escaped from the vehicle.
Senior Supt Cecil Santana mobilised troops and scores of police responded. They trudged through dense mangroves, the Embacadere dump and the Gulf of Paria shoreline at Kings Wharf, searching for the suspects.
The police helicopter also hovered while the city was on lockdown. Detectives also boarded the San Fernando water taxi and searched passengers. They later found a suspect at Building One, Embacadere.
Police found one suspect lying on the ground covered in blood. As he was brought downstairs, with a T-shirt covering his face, one of the residents shouted, “Thank God they arrest him. Is one day for the police and one day for the thief.”
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-02-20/two-cops-shot
