Drug suspect killed after seizing cop’s gun in Pangasinan

DAGUPAN CITY—A suspected drug dealer was shot dead on Friday in Mangaldan town in Pangasinan province when he tried to grab the weapon of his arresting police officer.

Marco Castillo, 39, was being led to a police vehicle after his arrest in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Salaan at 5:05 p.m. when he turned and seized the policeman’s gun.

Castillo was shot and killed even before he could fire the weapon. An improvised M16 pistol and seven sachets of suspected “shabu” were confiscated during the raid.

Five people who were at the targeted house were also arrested.

Also on Friday, 23 other suspected drug users and pushers were arrested in separate operations in the towns of Mangatarem, Santa Barbara, Calasiao and Bani, and in the cities of Dagupan and Urdaneta.

The raids yielded 53 sachets of shabu.