Suspended SORT officer held over gun, licence plate, police jacket

A 25-year-old Valencia policeman who was last assigned to the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) remained in police custody up to Monday afternoon.

He was held after a shootout with police on Friday.

Police said the Transit Police set up a road block near the Carib Brewery, Champs Fleurs, on the Priority Bus Route when they saw a silver Nissan Tiida make a U-turn onto the Eastern Main Road.

Before it drove off, the policeman, who was in the passenger seat, told the police, "I is a officer."

Police chased the car, which stopped a short distance away when one of the occupants shot at the police. Police shot back.

They later found the man hiding in bushes behind an apartment building. The driver ran away, leaving the car behind.

On searching the car, police found ammunition, a pistol, a police jacket, police utility belt, two cellphones and a licence plate.

Investigators said the licence plate was registered to a car that was reported stolen in Aranguez earlier this month. Police found that car in Phase 3, La Florissante, D'Abadie on Friday afternoon.

They said the policeman, who was suspended last year, was expected to be questioned and put on an identification parade on Monday for a series of crimes in Barataria.