4 cops probed on grenade/gun death

CEBU, Philippines - Four policemen, including the chief of Talamban Police Station, are now under investigation after autopsy reports revealed that the man, who was reportedly killed after trying to lob a grenade at law enforcers, died due to a gunshot wound.

Dr. Nestor Sator, chief medico-legal of the PNP-Crime Laboratory-7, revealed that Faustino “Junjun” Navarro Jr., 34, died of a gunshot wound in his head and not because of the grenade explosion.

Sator said the bullet entered the left side of the Navarro’s head and exited on the other side which led to his instantaneous death. However, Sator said they could not distinguish where the bullet came from.

The hand grenade explosion, which did not damage vital organs, was not enough to instantly kill the victim, Sator explained. 

Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, head of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch, said they will automatically investigate the case.

By Monday, Garciano said they will get the sworn statements from the four policemen. 

As part of the investigation, Garciano said, all police men concerned will undergo paraffin tests to check if they recently fired a firearm.

By doing so, investigators can check if one of the responding policeman fired the shot which killed Navarro.

Included in the investigation are Talamban Police Station Chief Michael Angelo Beltran, SPO4 Abundo Cabahug, SO2 Valintino Guevarra and PO2 Neil Labizares.

Beltran said his men only remembered chasing Navarro and the sudden explosion from the area where the victim ended up slumped on the ground.

Beltran said that none of his men fired a shot which might have killed Navarro.

He said they all thought that Navarro died of the explosion adding that they were shocked when the autopsy reports revealed otherwise. 

However, Beltran assured that they are ready to face the investigation to clarify doubts on the incident and of his men’s conduct.

Investigators are also eying the possibility that Navarro accidentally shot himself when he slipped into the ditch which also caused the hand grenade to explode.

But based on records, aside from the stolen 9mm pistol, several live ammunitions and personal effects, forensic investigators did not recover any slug form the crime scene which might suggest that the victim shot himself.

Forensic investigators may also subject the right hand of the victim to check if he fired his gun prior to his death.

Navarro is a suspected member of a small-time notorious robbery group based in Aloguinsan, Cebu. Investigators also believed that Navarro and his cohorts were planning to rob a bank a few meters from the place they were renting in Talamban. — /MIT (FREEMAN)