Baguio cops pepper stude with bullets

BAGUIO CITY — A college student was peppered with bullets in a shootout with policemen Thursday night along the University belt here.

Jeric Ryan Lopez was shot dead by responding policemen during a brief firefight in a barangay that is populated by students from the lowlands.

Police cannot determine how old Lopez was, but an identification card found inside his wallet revealed that he was from Quirino province.

Lopez’s body bore eight gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.

Police said Lopez was with another person at around 9:45 p.m. on Thursday when they fired their guns along the Bonifacio Rotonda, in front of the Catholic-run Saint Louis University here.

Alerted personnel of the City Police Mobile Force rushed to the area but were met with gunfire by Lopez and his companion.

Lopez then fled on foot towards Lower Brookside barangay while his companion ran in another direction.

PO2 Danilo Caranto and PO2 Nielson Salangan chased Lopez, while two other policemen went after the other suspect.

Lopez tried shooting it out with the pursuing lawmen. However, his .38 caliber revolver was no match against the Armalite rifles of the policemen. — Artemio Dumlao