The death of a policewoman in a room of another policewoman in Cebu City may have been the result of an accidental shooting.
Investigators are checking this possibility after a reenactment was made in the room of PO1 Crystalle Bayate where PO1 Heidi Garcia was shot Friday morning.
Senior Supt. Noli Romana, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said the initial findings of the investigators who went to Bayate’s boarding house on Asuncion Street in barangay Sambag 1 yesterday showed that Garcia may have accidentally shot herself.
Bayate, who guided the police in the reenactment, told the police that Garcia shot herself in the chest using her .9mm Glock service pistol.
Garcia’s relatives, including her husband, also a policeman assigned in Bohol, were not convinced that what happened was a suicide.
Both Garcia and Bayate tested negative for powder burns.
Further investigation will be made to check if Bayate was consistent with her statements, said Romana.
He said they will also check Garcia’s background and if she had any history of depression or suicidal tendencies.
According to Bayate, she was wearing her uniform as she prepared to report for work last Friday when Garcia took her gun and shot herself.
Bayate remains in the custody of the Fuente Police Station while the case is under investigation.
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