The Northern Police District is hunting down its own police officer for shooting dead a fellow policeman in Caloocan City Tuesday night.
NPD director Chief Superintendent Eric Javier identified the suspect as Police Officer 3 Hector de la Cruz, assigned at the NPD-District Support and Services Group.
The victim, Police Officer 3 Enrique Trinidad, 36, detailed at the Caloocan City police investigation unit, died from bullet wounds in the chest and in the head.
“Investigation is still ongoing to determine what triggered the incident,” Javier told The STAR as he urged De la Cruz “to surrender immediately to clarify things.”
Investigation showed that at around 6:40 p.m., Trinidad arrived at their house in Maypajo, Caloocan City from work on board his motorcycle. As he was about to park his motorcycle, the suspect, his neighbor and apparently drunk, approached him. They engaged in a heated argument prompting De la Cruz to pull out his .9mm pistol and shot Trinidad twice at close range. Trinidad was hit in the right chest and in the right temple.
De la Cruz fled with his weapon after the incident and remains at large.
Trinidad was rushed by his father, Jaime, to the nearby Martinez Memorial Hospital for treatment but the victim died an hour later due to his bullet wounds.
Javier directed Caloocan City police chief Superintendent William Macavinta to apprehend De la Cruz “as soon as possible.” He also ordered NPD-DSSG chief Superintendent Carlito Demalanta to “immediately surrender De la Cruz for investigation.”