Alleged drug pusher slain, another hurt in Lucena buy-busts

LUCENA CITY – An alleged drug pusher was slain while another was wounded in two separate buy-bust operations in Lucena City on Sunday, police said.

Anti-illegal drugs operatives tried to arrest Dominador Jaime and Michael de la Cruz after the duo sold “shabu” (crystal meth) to a police agent posing as a drug user in a transaction in Barangay 8 around 8 p.m., Supt. Reydante Ariza, Lucena police chief, said in a report.

But as the undercover cop was making the arrest, De la Cruz reportedly managed to escape while Jaime pulled his handgun and fired at the policeman but missed his target. The police shot back, killing Jaime on the spot, the report stated.

Earlier, suspected drug pusher Christian Aquino sustained a bullet wound when a police agent who was about to arrest him in another buy-bust in Barangay Dalahican around 5:50 p.m. shot him.

The report stated that Aquino noticed that he was selling shabu to a policeman and immediately drew his caliber 38. revolver and shot the arresting officer but the firearm jammed. Another policeman retaliated and shot Aquino who was hit on the upper part of his knee.

Police said the suspect, a newly identified drug pusher in the area, was reported to the authorities by concerned villagers. The suspect was listed as number four in the local police wanted list and a subject of a pending arrest warrant. /ee