PHILIPSBURG--A bike patrol police officer whose last initial was given as B. was shot on Front Street just outside Jewelery Boutique and Joe’s Jewelery just after noon today, Wednesday, August 5.
Chief of Police Peter de Witte, who rushed to the scene just after the incident occurred, has confirmed to The Daily Herald that one of the bandits has been shot and caught shortly after the incident occurred. He is said to be clinging to life.
The Daily Herald observed fellow officers and a medical professional who had been on the scene immediately after the incident doing Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the shot officer before the Ambulance arrived to rushed him to the St. Maarten Medical Centre where he is undergoing surgery.
Details of the incident that occurred before the officer was shot are sketchy at this moment. However this newspaper was close to the scene before panic broke out and shots were being fired. A parliament meeting had just ended and at least three Members of Parliament (MPs) had been standing outside the Parliament Building when tourists started running towards the building and in other directions. The first set of shots rang out soon after sending persons scampering for cover including MPs, other staffers who were outside the building.
As the robbers were fleeing the scene what appeared to be a getaway bike crashed into the side of the Court House building where it remained. Two helmets as well as two gloves lay on the street nearby.
The camera at the Parliament building captured the bandits running in front of the building with officers in hot pursuit. One eyewitness also said she saw jewellery lying on the ground where it had been dropped by the bandits. The bandit who had been shot was seen running from the scene holding the area where he had been shot. This robber was cornered at the side of the old Fire Department where he was caught. The second robber was said to be on the run. The full report will be in tomorrow’s issue of The Daily Herald.
