Robbery suspect shot dead after grabbing cop’s gun

MANILA, Philippines — Less than a day after his cohorts were killed in a botched entrapment operation, the sixth member of the Candelaria robbery group was also shot dead after he allegedly tried to grab his police escort’s gun on Tuesday afternoon in Pasay City.

Andy Capia, 42, was supposedly on his way to a hospital for a checkup when he was shot and killed by members of the Southern Police District’s Special Operations Unit.

A report to Pasay police chief, Col. Bernard Yang, said that Capia was in a police van with Staff Sgt. Angel dela Cruz, Lt. Col. Joe Denamarca and a driver when he complained that his handcuffs were too tight.

When Dela Cruz loosened the handcuffs, Capia grabbed his 9-mm service firearm, the report said.

“Sensing that [their lives] were in imminent danger…, [Denamarca had] no other option but to pull out his service firearm and fire a shot [at] the suspect,” the report said.

Capia was rushed to Pasay City General Hospital but was pronounced dead due to four gunshot wounds on the chest.

An investigator of the case who refused to be identified said that as far as their initial investigation was concerned, they saw no foul play.

Capia was arrested on Monday for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition at a parking lot in Parañaque City.

Suspect’s admission

He admitted being a member of the robbery-holdup gang that preyed on Chinese Pogo (Philippine offshore gaming operator) workers and acted as “muscle men for Chinese loan sharks.”

His arrest led to the capture of the group’s leader, Joseph Candelaria — a former member of the Philippine Army — and Nazzan Albao that same day.

An entrapment operation set on Tuesday for the capture of other gang members, however, allegedly led to a shootout, leaving Candelaria, Albao and three other members dead.