The bandit who was shot during a robbery at a police officer’s home on Saturday has died.
He has been identified as Michael Burnette also known as Katsy, 31, of Rambert Village, La Romaine.
Burnette was paralysed after the bullet severed his spine and ruptured his liver. He was on a ventilator at the Intensive Care Unit at the San Fernando General Hospital.
Burnette was one of four bandits who held up and robbed a police sergeant and his family at their Union Hall, San Fernando home.
Police said around 10.30 pm, four men entered the home armed with a knife and gun, the bandits ordered the 56-year-old sergeant, his 53-year-old wife and children ages 24 and 23 to lie on the living room floor.
They ransacked the house, stealing the officer’s Huawei mobile phone valued $1200, a gold chain valued $700 and four watches worth $800. They took his wife’s Samsung S7 valued $3000, three gold chain estimated at $3000 and an HP laptop worth $4000. They also took his son’s Huawei mobile phone valued $2500.
According to police reports, one of the bandits ordered the sergeant to his bedroom and demanded that he open a safe. He got angry when the sergeant was unable to open the safe because of mechanical issues and began approaching his family. Fearful for their safety, the sergeant retrieved his firearm from the bedroom and shot the suspect. The other bandits ran out of the house and escaped.
The sergeant, who retired last year and returned as a Special Reserved Police officer, and his family, were not harmed. Snr Supt Yusuf Gaffar, Insp Mohammed, Sgt Phillip and Sgt Ramlogan led San Fernando CID and Southern Division Task Force to the scene. Task Force officers took the injured bandit to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. The three other bandits are still at large.
Reporter: Sascha Wilson