Cop shot in Lapu falls into coma; colleagues raise funds

The police officer who was shot by a drunk man while watching a basketball game in barangay Sta. Rosa, Lapu-Lapu City is in a coma after he underwent surgery Monday night to remove a  blood clot in his head.

P01 Richie Lodonia’s colleagues in Olango Island Police Station 1 are raising funds to help his family pay his hospital expenses.

P03 Mark Anthony Zamora, investigator of the Olango Island Police Station 1, said doctors placed Lodonia  under observation for 48 hours before another operation will be done to remove the bullet embedded  in his head.

Zamora said Senior Insp.  James Conaco, chief of Olango Island Police Station 1, told them to contribute to help Lodonia’s family.

Zamora said they learned that Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza also gave financial assistance to Lodonia at the hospital.

Lodonia, 26, has a 6-year-old daughter with his common-law wife.

Fellow policemen are  praying that their colleague would survive and recover.

Lodonia was watching a basketball game in sitio Bunga at around 3 p.m. Monday when he was shot in the nape by Romeo Labor, who was reportedly drunk and  high on drugs.

Labor was later killed in a shootout with  policemen.

Based on  police investigation, Labor had no personal grudge against Lodonia.

Labor was a resident of sitio San Isidro 2, barangay Sabang, while Lodonia resides in sitio Mainit in  barangay Sta Rosa.

Lodonia belongs to the tourist police force detailed at the Olango Island station 1.

Zamora said it’s possible  Labor harbored ill feelings against all policemen of Olango Island station 1 because last year, he was arrested for malicious mischief and alarm and scandal for destroying a neighbor’s fence.

Zamora said Labor was known to be unruly when drunk and would often resort to indiscriminate firing.

Before he shot Lodonia last Monday, Zamora said, Labor was seen drinking in a disco Sunday night until the following day.