Six police from Navotas City were relieved from their posts after allegedly shooting a 17-year-old boy after mistaking him for a suspect they were pursuing.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Public Information Office head Col. Redrico Maranan said the personnel relieved included an executive master sergeant, three staff sergeants, two corporals, and one patrolman.

“The police involved in the incident are in the restrictive custody of the district headquarters and they have also been charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide,” Maranan told reporters.

The boy was supposed to set sail in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran to fish when the cops shot him dead.

Maranan said the police conducted a follow-up operation in the village after receiving information that a suspect who had escaped from a shooting incident was seen riding a boat.

“The police conducted a follow operation and went to the hiding place the informant was pointing to. When the police arrived, they found (the boy) boarding a boat. Then, when he saw the police, he allegedly dived into the water and that’s when they shot him. That was what caused his death,” he said.

According to a police incident report, the boy sustained gunshot wounds on his nose, back, and right hand dorsal.

In an interview with GMA News, Navotas City Police chief Col. Allan Umipig admitted that the operation had gone wrong.

“He wasn’t the suspect. They just discovered after he was dead that it was a different person. Since the victim dove into the water, they committed a mistake by shooting the water until the victim was hit,” Umipig said.

“It should not have happened that way. There were two team leaders present. They should’ve warned him so he could have surrendered properly,” he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS