The passenger of a car has died while a police officer has sustained injuries after the former had tried to grab the policeman’s service firearm during a search at a checkpoint in Kotugoda, causing the weapon to accidentally discharge.
Police said that a team of officers from the Seeduwa Police Station had stopped and attempted to search a car which had arrived from Seeduwa at the Kotugoda checkpoint.
However, during the search the person who was in the left side passenger seat of the car had allegedly attempted to grab the service firearm of a Police Sergeant causing the weapon to discharge and resulting in gunshot injuries to the policeman’s foot and the passenger’s stomach.
Both wounded persons were admitted to the Negombo Hospital, where the passenger who had allegedly tried to grab the gun had later succumbed to injuries. The deceased is a 38-year-old resident of Pugoda.
Seeduwa Police are conducting further investigations.
