Residents say drunk cop shot up the neighbourhood
Meanwhile, police investigations continue into a shooting involving an off-duty cop and a fisherman early this morning. The official version of events is that Corporal Gavin Sanchez was heading to his Iguana Street Extension home around twelve-thirty this morning when a man on a bicycle shouted at him and caused him to run into a drain. Sanchez says while he was trying to get out of the mud, the cyclist returned to the scene armed with a handgun. The Corporal says in self defence he pulled out his own weapon and fired several times in his attacker’s direction. Two of the cop’s bullets struck their target, one landing in the left leg and another nicking a finger on his right hand. The gunshot victim, twenty-one year old Lionel Sampson, is tonight admitted to ward in stable condition under police guard. But that account differs greatly with what area residents say transpired this morning. Witnesses claim Sanchez was drunk and after he ran his car into the drain, he emerged from the vehicle armed and opened fire on Sampson. They say Sampson tried to run away and hid under a car and when he didn’t want to come out, the policeman shot him. While Assistant Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie could not confirm or deny that the two men knew each other before the shooting, the police say Sampson has already admitted his involvement.
ASP Allen Whylie, Assistant Commissioner of Police
“Investigators have visited a number of persons in the area. Some persons have cooperated in terms of what they saw when they saw when they heard the shots fired. But apparently, it was only this Young man along with the corporal who were on the streets at the time and several other persons may have peeped through their windows when they heard shots being fired. So we continue to go at it and I believe that whenever Mr. Sampson is released from the hospital, he will come back into our custody and we will interview him again. He has already been cautioned and he has corroborated the story that Sanchez reported and I can tell you also that I was told that he asked to cut a deal and I told them point blankly that we won’t be cutting any deal with anyone for any firearms or anything like that. so I’m just throwing that out there so whilst people are complaining and the family has a right to complain, there is nothing at this time to indicate that Corporal Sanchez did anything wrong.”
Carla Garbutt, Iguana St. Extension Resident
“I mi suprised with di way how dehn carry out di investigation because den dehn neva ask nobody out yah weh mi happen. Dehn neva aske dehn weh really happen. Dehn jus do di ting, pull owt di car owta di drain deh cause di policeman car mi end up eena di drain deh. Dehn tek di car frahn owta di drain and ker di car. Mussy like half an owa to three kwaata owa afta, di policeman dehn mi eh rite back back yah.”
Police say as soon as Sampson can appear before a judge, he will be charged with Possession of an Unlicensed Weapon and Ammunition, namely a twenty-two revolver and seven bullets found at the scene. During the shooting, a parked car, a refrigerator and the wall of a home were penetrated by gunshots. Whylie told us the Police Department intends to pay for the damage.
