When a police constable responded to a report from Hampshire Squatting Area on Monday afternoon he was forced to shoot a woman’s abusive cutlass-wielding former lover in the thigh.

Raywattie called ‘Babita’, 36, who lives in the Corentyne, Berbice village made a report at the Albion Police Station after a man with whom she had shared a relationship entered her premises and threatened to kill her.

Around 2.30 pm on Monday 38-year-old Hemant Balo forced his former lover to escape from him by jumping through a window. The woman subsequently reported the matter and an armed police constable went to the scene. The policeman found Balo in his yard with the cutlass in his hand.

Balo, police said in a press release yesterday, was informed of the report made against him.

However, the man began to abuse the policeman and advanced towards him in a menacing manner with the cutlass.

The policeman, the release said, started retreating while calling on Balo to stop. As the policeman continued moving back he fell and Balo rushed towards him. It was then, police reported, that the rank shot the man.

He was arrested and taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was treated and released. Balo is in police custody.

He was recently released from prison after serving a sentence for wounding Raywattie.

Meanwhile, the police constable sprained his ankle when he fell and was also treated at the hospital.