Ta’ Giorni shooting suspect to be arraigned on Sunday
John Agius was arrested on Friday after a 90-minute standoff in which two police officers were shot
Updated 8.14pm
The man who was arrested over the shooting of two police officers in Ta’ Giorni on Friday is expected to be arraigned in court on Sunday morning.
John Agius, 74, from St Julian’s, was arrested following a 90-minute long standoff with police after he set fire to a construction site nearby and shot at police officers.
Special Intervention Unit sergeant Johann Vella was seriously injured in the affray after he was hit in the face and neck while Constable Omar Sharif sustained slight injuries as he lay trapped inside the building with the shooter during the negotiations.
On Saturday evening, sources told Times of Malta that Vella was not in a critical condition anymore but remained in intensive care at Mater Dei Hospital.
Agius’s brother George, 68, was also arrested after he escaped the scene on a motorbike.
John Agius, known locally as Johnny tal-għalqa, was described by some neighbours as a quiet man who kept to himself but others said he was a volatile man who had objected to neighbouring building work.
One resident told Times of Malta Agius would sometimes “lose it and come out with a gun” but he had previously stopped short of using it.
Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà said the motive behind the shooting may have been a long-running property dispute.
Planning Authority documents show that Agius had objected to the dismantling of a boundary all between his property and the construction site where the confrontation began.
Gafà said officers had recovered four licensed shotguns from Agius’s property. Police believe one of the weapons was used during the exchange of fire.
In a statement on Saturday evening, the Police Officers' Union said it is in contact with the family of SIU officer Vella and is offering him its legal services as a parte civile.
The legal representation will be led by the union's lawyer Herman Mula together with Franco Debono.
"This forms part of the union's firm commitment to ensuring that justice is served for Johann and his family," the union said.