Cops kill accused murderer; claim self-defence

Two men are dead tonight: one the victim of a chopping assault and the other the man who did the chopping who was shot by the police when he resisted arrest. According to authorities, their investigations reveal that last Friday around six in the morning Honduran Jose Hernandez and Heraldo Rash were involved in a misunderstanding at Banana Farm Six located near Trio Village in the Toledo District. It is reported that Hernandez pulled out a machete from his bike and chopped Rash several times. When the police visited the crime scene they found Rash’s lifeless body lying on the ground. By that time, however, Hernandez had fled the area, running into the nearby bush. Since then, Independence police had been looking for Hernandez but it was not until Sunday that the cops received information about their wanted man’s whereabouts. The police say when they arrived in the area, between Golden Stream and Deep River in the Toledo District; the team of officers found Hernandez and then advised him of their intent to arrest him. According to the police, the suspect, instead of complying, attacked the police with his machete. The police responded by firing shots, one of which reportedly caught Hernandez in the leg. But according to police that injury did not stop Hernandez and he continued to move towards them. That’s when they fired more shots that fatally wounded Hernandez. The body awaits a post mortem at the Southern Regional Hospital. As is customary, Police Commissioner Gerald Westby has ordered an internal investigation into the shooting.