Philipsburg; ---On Tuesday November 24 at approximately 12.45 p.m. several police patrols, members of the 0-tolerance team and detectives were directed to Aruba Drive for an armed robbery. The first police patrol on the scene approached the house in question and upon entering, the home was met by a masked suspect, who was armed with a handgun and in a threatening manner aimed it at the patrol.
The patrol took cover and informed the Central Police Dispatch of what was going on and called immediately for back up. This suspect however fled the home through a door leading from the living room. He jumped the fence at back the house and fled through the hills in the direction of Saunders. A description of the suspect was given through to the other patrols that started an intense search in the neighboring area. In the Saunders area, a man fitting the description of the suspect was spotted by the patrols. When the man noticed that, he was approached by police he took-off running. This man was summoned by the police to stop; however, he did not comply with orders of the officers and continued fleeing from police.
Two other police patrols joined in the chase to apprehend this suspect and in the course of the chase shots were fired, one of which struck the suspect in his right shoulder. The chase ended on the Gladiola road. The suspect with initials R.S. from Jamaica was treated on the spot by paramedics and then transported to the St Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. At the hospital, the suspect was treated for his wound and is presently in a stable condition. He was also admitted for observation. At the crime scene in Aruba Drive where the armed robbery took place, the patrol encountered the housemaid who was tied up by the suspect. The patrols later found the owner of the house who was hidden in a bedroom. The Special Robbery Unit is busy with the investigation.
