LUCENA CITY – An alleged motorcycle thief was killed in an encounter with policemen in Atimonan town in Quezon province Thursday night, police said.
A report from the Quezon police said the still unidentified motorcycle thief was slain in an encounter with policemen manning a checkpoint along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Tagbakin around 9:30 p.m.
Authorities from neighboring Plaridel town alerted the Atimonan police about a stolen motorcycle from their town, police said.
Operatives manning a checkpoint spotted the stolen vehicle with three riders who fired at the policemen. The cops returned fire and hit one of the suspects but the two others managed to escape.
The wounded suspect died on the way to the hospital.
Police recovered two caliber .45 pistols, two magazines, 30 bullets and the stolen motorcycle from the slain suspect.