Wanted felon killed in shootout with cops in N. Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines – A man wanted by the police for various crimes was killed after he allegedly threw a hand grenade that failed to explode and engaged policemen in a shootout in Carmen, North Cotabato, police said Monday.

His companion was arrested by a group of soldiers and policemen during the incident, which occurred Sunday afternoon.

Inspector Jessie Albay, Kidapawan’s deputy police chief, identified the slain suspect as Tantang Tahir, 30, of Barangay (village) Semone, Kabacan, North Cotabato. His companion was identified as Nano Ampit, also known as Muslimin Oping of Barangay Lanoon, Carmen, North Cotabato.

The two men, who were riding tandem on a motorcycle, sped off instead of stopping when policemen manning an outpost in Barangay Gen. Luna in Carmen tried to flag them down, Albay said.

This prompted the policemen to give chase, triggering a running gunbattle, Albay said. Tahir then lobbed a hand grenade at the pursuing policemen, but it did not explode as the pin was not completely removed.

The suspects then crashed their motorcycle, leading to the arrest of Ampit while Tahir continued to exchange fire with the policemen as he fled on foot, Albay said.

Hours after the incident, villagers found Tahir’s dead body in an irrigation canal a kilometer away from the police detachment. Police found a .357  magnum on Tahir.

Tahir and Ampit were suspected of carrying robberies and stealing motorcycles in Carmen and Kabacan, both in North Cotabato.