Lucena drug suspect fires gun, misses, killed in buy-bust

LUCENA CITY—A drug suspect was killed on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in a drug bust here after he allegedly fired at, but missed, a police officer with his .38 caliber revolver, the type of gun most commonly found in the possession of drug war targets who end up getting killed in police operations.

Lt. Col. Reydante Ariza, Lucena police chief, said in a report that Zander Martinez sold shabu (crystal meth) to an undercover police officer at the coastal village of Dalahican.

According to Ariza’s report, police were about to take Martinez in custody when the suspect resisted arrest, took a .38 caliber revolver tucked in his waist, fired and missed the undercover cop.

Another policeman returned fire and hit Martinez, killing him on the spot.

Authorities seized the suspect’s firearm and shabu worth P460. Police said Martinez is on the police’s drug watch list. Delfin T. Mallari Jr./TSB