A bandit was shot dead by the police while his accomplice managed to escape yesterday afternoon after they hijacked a car in Haslington and were cornered in Mahaicony.
The quiet village of Perth, Mahaicony, was in an uproar yesterday afternoon after the two bandits were cornered by the police. According to Commander of ‘C’ Division, Calvin Brutus, around 10:54 am, two men, one of whom has been identified as 27-year-old Melroy Solomon of Titus Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, called for a taxi from Vick’s Taxi Service located in Enmore, East Coast Demerara, and while they were in Haslington they hijacked the car – a purple Toyota Carina 212 – and robbed the driver of his valuables and $15,000 in cash before escaping.
The police were subsequently alerted and as a result, set up several road blocks along the East Coast corridor and also added some ranks in an unmarked car to the search.
Shortly after, the suspects were encountered at New Road, Mahaica and a high speed chase ensued during which several shots were exchanged. During the chase, the driver of the hijacked car crashed into the police’s unmarked vehicle which rendered it immobile and allowed the men to escape.
While in the vicinity of Esau and Jacob in Mahaicony the two bandits reportedly abandoned the car at the end of the road after it became stuck in a ditch and fled to the backlands on foot where they robbed a resident, who was tending to his livestock, of his phone and clothes. After they robbed the farmer, they ordered him to take them out on a horse to a location on Branch Road, Mahaicony that leads to the public road.
They then subsequently boarded another taxi sometime around 3:45 pm and were again intercepted by the police who ordered the two men to exit the vehicle. However, Solomon reportedly exited the vehicle armed with his firearm and began shooting at the police who then returned fire, which resulted in Solomon being shot and the car with the other perpetrator speeding away.
Solomon was rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. According to the police he was previously charged with armed robbery.
An unlicensed .32 semi-automatic pistol with four live rounds and two spent shells were also recovered at the scene.
When Stabroek News visited the village around 7 last night, police ranks were still patrolling the area while residents were on guard. One resident related that he was alerted to the situation after he saw the hijacked car racing through the quiet street during the afternoon followed by a police vehicle.
“You don’t see them things so when we see the car racing through and then not too long after a police car come racing through too we understand that it was something serious happening. Apparently they went to the back and drop off the car cause like they ain’t know the road got an end at the back and after a while the police came out back with the car and like they jump in a car and was coming out when the whole scene happened,” the man related.
He said that not long after they heard several shots being fired and eventually found out that the bandit had been shot and killed.
