Cop, suspect die in S. Kudarat hostage-taking

By Edwin Fernandez

HALF-MAST. The Philippine flag is placed at half-mast at the Esperanza police station in Sultan Kudarat province after a drunk suspect attacked with a knife Staff Sgt. Victor Araño, a police investigator, on Monday (Dec. 13, 2021) night. Suspect Jessy Ferrer was later killed after grabbing one of the police’s firearms following his surrender in an ensuing hostage-taking. (Photo courtesy of Esperanza MPS)

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DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao: A police officer in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat was killed hours after he was attacked by a man while he was taking his dinner inside the police station Monday night.

In a report, Maj. Alexander de Pedro, Esperanza town police chief, said the attack on Staff Sgt. Victor Araño occurred at 7 p.m. inside the kitchen of the town police station.

Araño, a police investigator, was stabbed several times in the chest by laborer Jessy Ferrer, and of Barangay Saliao.

The suspect was drunk when he allegedly committed the crime.

“The suspect was hauled to the police station after residents complained of his misbehavior due to his being drunk,” de Pedro said.

“While in the police station, Ferrer quietly took a knife and stabbed Arano,” he added.

After the attack, Ferrer escaped and barged inside a house nearby where he held hostage two persons.

The police negotiated and successfully convinced Ferrer to surrender and turned in his knife.

However, while he was being handcuffed, he grabbed the firearm of a police officer, forcing other law enforcers to neutralize him.

“He (Ferrer) was shot and injured,” de Pedro said.

Ferrer and Araño later died in separate hospitals, he added.

De Pedro said police investigators remained clueless as to the real motive of the attack. 

(Philippine News Agency)

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