Man shot dead in Philippines for flouting coronavirus rules

Country’s first reported case of police shooting a civilian for refusing to follow restrictions to curb coronavirus

A 63-year-old man was shot dead in the Philippines after threatening village officials and police with a scythe at a coronavirus checkpoint, police said on Saturday. 

The man is believed to have been drunk when he threatened village officials and police manning the checkpoint in the town of Nasipit in the southern province of Agusan del Norte on Thursday, a police report said. 

“The suspect was cautioned by a village health worker … for not wearing a face mask,” the report said. “But the suspect got angry, uttering provoking words and eventually attacked the personnel using a scythe.” 

The suspect was shot dead by a police officer who was trying to pacify him. 

The incident is the first reported case of police shooting a civilian for refusing to follow restrictions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.