Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
A bandit and an innocent woman who were shot during a botched robbery attempt on a police officer in Port-of-Spain on Thursday, remained warded at hospital yesterday.
While the suspect, who was shot in the stomach, was handcuffed to the bed under police guard, the 33-year-old female bystander, who was shot in the left breast and ribs, was just several beds down at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
According to police reports, around 5.25 pm on Thursday, the officer was driving his Nissan X-Trail down Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, when upon reaching Yipp’s Variety Store, the suspect ran up to his vehicle, placed a box cutter to his neck through an open window and ordered, “Give me them chain or ah go kill yuh mother c@%t.”
It was alleged that the officer resisted, exited the vehicle and chased after the suspect, who pointed the box cutter at him. The officer reportedly fired two shots in the man’s direction, hitting him in the abdomen and also striking the woman, who was standing on the corner of Prince and Charlotte Streets.
The bandit and the woman were subsequently taken to the PoSGH.
The suspect was identified as a 32-year-old man from Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain.
Among the evidence collected at the scene were two 9mm spent shell casings and one yellow box cutter.
Speaking with Guardian Media from her hospital bed yesterday, the injured woman expressed worry over her injury, as she noted she was on the way home at the time of the shooting.
The 33-year-old mother of two said doctors told her she was lucky to have survived, as the bullet was lodged under her left breast.
She expressed concern that there could be a cover-up afoot. She claimed that after she was allegedly told by the police officer that it was a mistake she had been shot, she was later approached and asked if she had been mixed up with the suspect in any way.
She said she was now also concerned that she was unable to work in order to pay her rent and look after her children, adding doctors could not tell her how long she would need to recuperate fully.