BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
An intelligence police operative died due to an alleged “accidental firing” in Barangay Zone 4, Cadiz City in Negros Occidental on Thursday night.
Lt. Col. Robert Mansueto, Cadiz City police chief, yesterday identified the victim as SSgt. Bernie Sales, an intelligence operative of the Sagay City Police Station.
Mansueto said initial investigations showed that the 9mm Jericho pistol of Sales “accidentally fired”, while he was being pacified by his companion, Beverly Latosa, 25.
Sales was rushed to the Cadiz City Emergency Clinic for treatment but died at past 11 p.m. Thursday, two hours after the incident, Mansueto said.
He said Sales succumbed to a gunshot wound on the lower left side of his chest. The bullet exited from his back.
Initial investigation of the Cadiz police showed that Sales pulled out his gun, while he, Latosa and two other companions were on their way to his vehicle.
Latosa tried to pacify Sales, who was angry with somebody, when the gun went off, police investigation further showed.
Mansueto said they are still trying to determine if the 9mm Jericho pistol recovered at the scene of incident is owned by Sales. Aside from the gun, the police also recovered a magazine with 16 live ammunition and a fired cartridge of a 9mm pistol.
The Cadiz police already requested the PNP Crime Laboratory to subject the victim and Latosa to paraffin tests, and they are also in the process of investigating the two other witnesses in the incident that was captured on closed-circuit TV.*GPB
