Pangasinan town police chief, officer hurt in hostage ordeal

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DAGUPAN CITY — The police chief of Mangatarem town and a subordinate were hurt when they tried to subdue a drunk who held his family hostage Tuesday morning.

Chief Insp. Demosthenes Magnaan was wounded in the right arm when he parried a knife thrust by suspect Raymond Bugarin, 28.

Another officer, SPO1 Richard Castillo, suffered a head wound when Bugarin hit him with a lead pipe.

Investigator PO3 Jaguar Gonzales said a drunken Bugarin locked himself with his family inside their house in Barangay Bogtong Centro before dawn Tuesday.

Magnaan and Castillo arrived at about 6 a.m. and tried to pacify Bugarin.

While the police official talked to the drunk, Bugarin’s family slipped out of the house through a back door.

Seeing that his family had escaped, Bugarin tried to stab Magnaan.

Castillo jumped the suspect and tried to hold him down but Bugarin swung a lead pipe at him, busting a wound on his head.

Bugarin was subdued by the policemen and now faces charges for double frustrated homicide and for alarm and scandal.

Magnaan suffered a small cut, while Castillo’s wound had to be closed with four stitches. CBB/rga